The Crystal Items: Pendulum
by Nordic Twin
Summary: Yugi thought life was finally going to be normal, when the Millennium Items were sealed, and Atem finally got to enjoy his afterlife. But when he starts having dreams, an old friend returns, and a new threat rises, he knows his adventures are far from over. And this time, he's up against something far more powerful, than the Millennium Items. And who is the new girl? YugiXOC.
1. The dream

**A/N: **Okay, guess who's nervous?

Hello, I am Nordic Twin, and this is the _first time_ i upload something on FanFiction. Please, I beg you, _don't kill me!_ If this is very bad and doesn't fit with the ending of Yu-Gi-Oh, please know, that I love the series, but know very little about the ending, because they didn't finish it in my country! What I know is, that Yami disappeared and everything was good. If anyone is willing to tell me a little about the ending, I will be very grateful to you.

On that note, I hope you will like my little attempt at writing something, and hopefully like my OC's. Please enjoy.

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><p><strong>Long lost love.<strong>

**OC's:**

**Name:** Una Yamagawa.

**Nickname: **Those who know her well, calls her Un. (It's French and means one.)

**Age: ** 17.

**Hair: **Golden, reaches the middle of her back, keeps it loose most of the time, though she wears a hairclip on occasion. When doing sports she has it in a high ponytail.

**Eyes: **Dark brown.

**Height: **1, 75 meters.

**Job: **Is in the same class as Yugi and co., but is going to run Yama-Tech. Inc. when she's old enough.

**Credentials: **Una officially has an IQ of 170, though some claims it's 200, and has already passed both high school and college, but attends high school in Domino City anyways. She's an expert on micro-technology and has invented many devices, but they have never been produced. She is also Co-President of IGA. (International Genius Association.) She speaks multiple ancient languages.

**Family: **Hoshi Yamagawa (dad), Marie Carlsen (mom), Hanabi Yamagawa (younger sister), Pegasus (godfather).

**Other: **Una loves music and dancing and is incredible at both singing and playing the bass and piano. Her mother is from Denmark and is one of Pegasus's dear friends. She rarely speaks to anyone. She has recently moved to Domino City from Denmark.

**Name: **Hanabi Yamagawa.

**Nicknames: **Hana, Hanna (in Europe).

**Age: **13.

**Hair:** Black, reaches her shoulders, when at home or in the city she keeps it in some type of bun hold together by two thin paintbrushes. Otherwise she let it fall down her back. Natural curls can be seen at occasions.

**Eyes: **Light grayish with tints of blue.

**Height: **1, 59 meters.

**Job:** Hana often draws and color Duel Monster cards for her godfather, Pegasus. On occasion she test's them, though Una is not happy about it.

**Credentials:** She is member of an international art association, and some of her pieces have become quite famous.

**Family: **The same as Una Yamagawa.

**Other:** Hana is an amazing artist and sculptor. She makes both abstract art and naturalistic art. Sometimes she stares out into the open, looking at nothing. Una claims Hana knows how to see the beauty in nothingness. She moved with Una to Domino City from Denmark.

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><p><em><strong>The Dream.<strong>_

"_My flower, you are more beautiful than even the Sun itself. Without you, I don't know what I would do," he said to the young woman standing by the bank of the river while holding her hands. _

"_The Lord would find another, much more fitting girl to love," she replied, not looking him in the eyes. In fact, he couldn't see her face at all. It was hidden under her thick hair. _

"_That is impossible, I will never love anyone but you, my jewel," he said, trying to catch her eyes with his, while she continued to avoid him. _

"_The Lord is being ridiculous again. Humans are meant to move on, when someone disappears or die. It is a part of living," she said, releasing her hands from his grasp, turning around and running away from him. _

_He followed her quickly and out ran her fast. He grabbed her thin wrist, forcing her to stop and turn around. "My love, you aren't leaving me, are you?" He asked in a worried tone. _

_She bowed her head and looked at her feet. His face paled and he felt cold under the burning sun. "I will not allow it. You can't leave me, I love you!" He said, feeling the fury rise within him._

"_I have no choice," she whispered. "They've seen us together; they claim I have put a spell on you, making you love me. I can't go on like this, my Lord. They'll kill me!" Tears started to fall down her cheeks. _

_He clenched his hands, cursing those who dared to try to harm her. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He looked at her trembling shape. She was so fragile, so small, how could she be dangerous? _

"_Look at me," he said while putting his hand under her chin, slowly tilting her head backwards, making her face him. He was so close, mere centimeters from seeing her wonderful face. He could already see the edge of her big eyes._

**BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.**

Yugi woke with a start by the sound of his alarm clock. He breathed heavily for a few moments before he became calm enough to get up.

"_That dream again,"_ he thought; while he got dressed and went down to eat breakfast._ "It keeps coming, but what does it mean?"_

Yugi had dreamed that same dream for about a month in total. He would stand on the bank of a great river, his hands holding the hands of a young woman. In his heart, he knew she was beautiful, but he never got to see her face. It was always hidden by her golden hair. An unusual color in that area, he knew that by heart. It looked like they were in Egypt, but what did that mean?

It had been almost a year since Yami left, and all had been peaceful in the world. Nothing special ever happened, but a few things had changed in that one year.

Seto Kaiba, for instance, had to repeat his last year in high school, because even though he was a genius, he had been away too much and gotten bad grades. This forced him to be around Yugi and co. more than he wanted to. He sometimes talked to them, but it was rare. Mostly he studied, wanting to get away from the school and back to Kaiba Corp. faster. He was still in charge of it, but he had to cram studies in between meetings and such. And he took extra classes at a cram school. "I'm not going to redo high school once more, never!" He sometimes grumbled to himself. Some found it quite amusing, but didn't say anything, in fear of making _the _Seto Kaiba mad.

Tristan started dating Joey's sister, Serenity, thus making Joey furious at Tristan. Though, after a little while, he accepted their relationship saying: "It is better she's dating Tristan, rather than some random guy I don't know. But if he ever hurt her, he's going to pay". In other words: love her or I'm going to kill you.

Yugi and Tea had dated for a while, but in the end decided to just be friends. It had never turned out awkward between them after it. They just realized it wasn't going to work. They loved each other, but more in as brother and sister, than boyfriend and girlfriend.

Tea now attended a dance academy and was becoming quite good at many types of dancing. She was searching for a scholarship at Julliard, trying her best to be good enough to please them. And though neither would admit it, she and Seto Kaiba had been seeing each other for a while, a possible love blooming.

As for Yugi himself, he had grown. A lot. In fact, he was almost as tall as Joey and Tristan now. He didn't know why he had gotten that sudden growth spurt, but he didn't complain. He had never realized of irritating it was to always look up, if he wanted to look at someone. Now he almost didn't have to, and he quite liked it. It was funny to have smaller kids actually look up at him, instead of them being as tall as he was. He often wondered how tall he would get, and why he had grown. Sometimes he thought it was some kind of present from Yami to him, but it couldn't be, though he liked to think that Yami was looking over him from his afterlife, just like a guardian angel, but that couldn't be. Yami was gone, and would never return.

He was deep in thought, when he was suddenly disturbed by the radio news.

"Yesterday it was announced, that the famous business man, Hoshi Yamagawa, has decided to move the headquarters of his company, Yama-Tech. Inc., to Domino City. He is going to be working on a big project with Kaiba. Corp, and has decided to be the closest to his new business partner as possible." The radio speaker said.

"I'm looking forward to be back in good old Domino City. I grew up in this city, and it will always be the place I belong". A man said, sounding way too cheery.

"Mr. Yamagawa has been living in Denmark with his wife and children for the past 13 years," the speaker ended. Yugi then turned off the radio.

"_So Kaiba's getting a new partner? I wonder what he's going to make," _he thought, as he quickly finished his breakfast and went to school. He didn't want to be late, since he also had become class president and had some chores to do every morning, before everyone arrived. He hurried inside and began his work immediately, starting with looking at his daily list of things to do.

"_Let's get started." _He thought, quickly doing the tasks, until he saw the secretary had added a little note. "_Oh, we're going to get a new student in our class today," _he thought, as he looked on the list. _"Let's see. It's a girl. She's 17 and has moved here from…!"_ He couldn't believe what he was reading. It had to be a coincidence, right?

The new girl had moved to Domino City from Denmark! At the same time Hoshi Yamagawa had moved there. _"All right, her name is…" _he thought, and then opened his eyes even more and stared at the name. "Una Yamagawa!" He almost yelled. "She has to be his daughter, she has to," he mumbled, while he started to walk around the class.

"Who has to be what?" He suddenly heard Joey ask. He looked up, and saw that Tea, Joey and Tristan had arrived.

"No one," he quickly said. "Just thinking, that's all. I've heard the new girl uniforms will soon arrive," he said, quickly chancing the subject.

This was actually true. The school was soon going to get the girls new uniforms, after countless protests. They wanted better looking uniforms, and after a smaller war, they finally got them.

Tea's eyes sparkled. "Amazing! Then we're finally getting rid of these ugly outfits," she said.

"Yeah," Yugi just said, before he drifted into thoughts again. For some reason, he didn't want to tell his friends about the new girl. It was as if, he wanted to protect her, for some reason.

"_She doesn't like people knowing anything about her, before she knows them,"_ he suddenly found himself thinking. He shook his head._ "Where on Earth did that come from?"_ He thought, but didn't get a chance to think further over it, because the teacher had arrived, and they all had to get to their seats.

"Attention please," the teacher, a middle aged woman, said. "Today, we're getting a new transfer student. She has recently moved here from Denmark, so please be nice to her," the teacher continued, before she turned towards the door and nodded once. The door opened, and the new girl silently walked in, and stood in front of all of them.

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><p><strong>AN: **Sooo? Did you like it? Please don't kill me, about me pairing Tea with Kaiba. I have this idea about another story set in the universe of Yu-Gi-Oh GX, and I needed Kaiba to get with Tea, if I wanted it to work. Besides, Yugi is going to get another love interest pretty soon.

A cliffhanger, al ready? Oh, my! Weird little Nordic Twin. (Laughs nervously.)

Reviews are very welcome, along with constructive critisism. English is not my birth language, and I tend to have problems with grammar. You are also welcome to rate this, if you want to.

Again, bear over me if this is really bad, and I seem as just some little amateur, who knows nothing about this show.

See ya' in the next chapter. **-Nordic Twin**


	2. Una Yamagawa

_**A/N: **_Ladies and Gentlemen! Nordic Twin is proud to present: chapter 2 of Long Lost Love! (Dances around computer.) I'm SO HAPPY! (If someone gets the reference, there's a big hug for you.)

While I remember it: _I don't_ own Yu-Gi-Oh. I _do_ own my plot and OC's.

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><p><em><strong>2. Una Yamagawa<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Una Yamagawa stood with her head slightly bowed in front of all of them. Her hands were folded in front of her, and her hair fell down her back and over her shoulders, framing her face. Around her neck she wore a white crystal in the shape of a teardrop in a gold chain. You could see she was very nervous. Surprisingly enough, she wore the new school uniform for the girls. It consisted of a black, bell shaped, knee length skirt, a white shirt, a dark grey vest, a black jacket, white stockings and black shoes. She looked very pretty in it, though it revealed she was a bit different from the others. Yugi looked at her, feeling slightly worried for her, since Una Yamagawa was pale, very pale. He could tell she was already fair skinned, from Europe, but this was ridiculous! Nobody was that pale, unless they were sick. _"What could be wrong with her?" _He thought.

The teacher smiled encouragingly at her and said: "Why don't you present yourself for your new classmates?" She looked up with a start, as if she had forgotten she wasn't alone, and nodded slightly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and finally looked at them with her big, brown eyes.

"Hello. My name is Una Yamagawa. As you've just heard, I come from Denmark, a little country in northern Europe," she said with a little smile. Her voice trembled a bit, and she touched the crystal. A second passed, and then she smiled brilliantly and said in a happy voice: "I'm looking forward to get to know all of you".

Yugi stared at it with wonder, not believing his own eyes. For a moment, it was as if the crystal glowed, and suddenly it was as if she had lost all of her nervousness. _"Nonsense,"_ he thought. _"I'm just imagining things". _

The teacher smiled again. "Very good, Miss Yamagawa. You can sit next to Mr. Mutou over there. He is also class president, so if you need help with anything, just ask him," she said while pointing him out.

Una smiled at small smile at the teacher, bowed quickly and said: "Yes, Mrs. Otai".

Yugi couldn't help but wonder about her behavior. She was shy and silent one moment, happy and energetic the next, and then back to shy and silent. What was it with this strange girl? _"She's like a really, complicated puzzle. She always has been,"_ he suddenly thought. He blinked quickly. Why was he thinking that again? It was like before, when he didn't want to tell his friends about her. And then something strange happened. Their eyes met, and suddenly he felt a quick jolt of some sort run through him. It felt like an enormous amount of power had shot through him, coming from this girl. It was sort of terrifying. It was in that same moment, her eyes widened and she tripped slightly over her own feet, earning a few giggles from the others. She blushed slightly, sat down, opened up the textbook she'd gotten and hid herself behind her golden hair. He felt pity for her. This was her first day in a new school, far away from what she was used to. Everything was probably strange and new to her. _"I have to make her feel better,"_ he thought.

He smiled aimicably at her and whispered: "Hello. Welcome to Domino High". She quickly turned her head in his direction and looked him in the eyes for a second, before she hid again.

"Thank you," she whispered back, before the teacher, Mrs. Otai, started the lesson.

_**?:**_

"_Well is this boring or what," _she thought, as she tried to concentrate on the lesson, though she knew it was hopeless. She already knew all they could teach you in high school, so why did she need to be there?

"_Because I've never had a real chance at being social, and if I just sit at home, I'll never get any friends, besides _him_," _she heard someone whisper in her mind.

"_Still, it's better than to stay here and being the new girl," _she thought again, trying to get into a discussion with the other voice. It was always fun.

"_But who knows what I'll miss? What amazing things could happen here?" _The other voice whispered stubbornly.

She frowned. _"It's an ordinary high school, complete with fake little dolls, jocks, nerds and those in between. That's it. Is this really more exiting, than being at home, inventing stuff?" _She shot back, smiling slightly.

"_As inviting that sounds, no thank you. It would become boring in the end, and how fun will that be?" _The other voice replied. She considered that for a moment. Then she sighed.

"_I guess you're right,"_ she thought, before she felt a little jolt of malicious pleasure coming from the other voice.

"_Good. Now, would it kill you to be quiet for the rest of the hour? I really want to concentrate on this lesson, and you're sort of disturbing me," _it said, before turning its attention towards the blackboard. She sighed again.

"_Fine, I'll be silent, but just so you know it: I was hoping to disturb you,"_ she thought while smirking.

The other voice didn't answer.

_**Una:**_

As soon as the lesson ended and the brake started, Una was surrounded by people. "What is it like in Denmark?" "How do you like Domino City so far?" "Where did you get the new uniform from? It's wonderful!" They all asked her tons of questions, while she just sat there, feeling nervous like hell, not saying a word, because she couldn't figure out what to answer.

"Aw, cut it out!" She heard someone snap, and they all turned silent. She looked around, trying to find the one who'd saved her, until she heard the same voice say: "What's so special about her? She's from Europe, so what? Makes that her out queen?" She felt a pang of pain rush through her, and her pendant glowed just a bit.

A girl came out from the crowd and stood right in front of her with her nose high in the sky. She was tall, skinny and pale. Her hair was platinum blonde and she wore a bright red lipstick and tons of mascara. "Has she even answered your questions so far?" She asked, her voice sounding nasal and snobby. Nobody answered her, and she smirked evilly, while Una just sat there with wide eyes. "I thought so," she said, before she bend down and stared Una straight into the eyes. "Look at you," she sneered. "Who are you to come here, and think you're so great? It's disgusting". He features twisted into something similar to a devils face. "And look at that skin! You're so pale, I mean, come on! I've been in Europe, and no one is that pale. How much makeup do you use? And how did you get that uniform? We haven't even gotten them yet, you brat".

Una was completely taken aback, and scared. "I ha, have never used makeup. Th, the principal gave me this uniform. He told me the other girls would get theirs later this day, and I, I've never said anything about being great, or better than anyone," she stammered.

The girl snorted. "Yeah, right. You're obviously a spoiled, snobbish brat. If you don't think you're better than m, I mean all of us, why haven't you answered any questions?" She asked, clearly trying to catch Una in a corner.

Her pendant glowed again, a bit more than before. _"Not now. I can handle this myself,"_ she thought to the pendant. "Because with all the questions being all asked at one time, I couldn't figure out which one to answer first," she said, wanting to get away from the nasty girl. Her pendant continued to glow, but no one noticed. Only Una did, and she knew what would happen, if she didn't get away from this girl.

The fake blonde smirked evilly again. "That is the oldest excuse in a book. I could easily handle that, you dirty, little b," she said, but was cut off by another voice.

"Leave her alone, Emi! What the heck is your problem?" A girl shouted angrily. Una silently sighed, as she felt the pendant calming down and stopped glowing.

She looked over her shoulder and saw a girl standing with the class president, Yugi, and two other boys. She sent her a thankful smile. Emi, the fake blonde, on the other hand, glared daggers at them, before she stomped out. Una sighed.

"_Great. First day of school, and I get an enemy. Wonderful," _she thought, before she turned her attention towards her classmates. "Please continue with your questions, but could you ask them one at a time? I only arrived last week, and haven't quite settled in yet," she said, giving them a pleasant smile.

She felt her pendant stir a bit and sighed. _"Drop it! That vixen is not worth it,"_ she thought. But the pendant still stirred and started glowing lightly red.

_**Yugi:**_

He looked at Una's small form surrounded by the others. She looked utterly uncomfortable. And then that mean girl Emi had started her usual routine, every time she saw someone was getting more attention than her.

"I can't believe Emi just did that. How egocentric can you get?" Tea mumbled angrily. Yugi sighed.

"Even though I want to, there's nothing I can do about it, since it's not a part of my duties as class president," he said. He really wanted to help Una, to stop Emi's behavior, but that was out of his hands now. If Yami had been there, then he might have done something. Scratch that, he _would_ have done something. Yami would've challenged Emi to a shadow game, and everything would've been good the next day. Now, almost all he could do was watch. He felt like hitting himself. For some reason, he wanted to protect Una from all things evil. To see her smile and laugh. He could picture it in his head. Una standing in the sun in a white dress by a river…

…_Dancing over rocks and grass, not noticing his presence. Her laughter sounding like raindrops on the surface of the water. How could she be dangerous? She had to be a spirit, the purest of things. And how he loved her…_

"Yugi? Are you all right, man?" Tristan asked, waving his hand in front of his face.

Yugi blinked a few times and shook his head. _"What was that?"_ he thought. It had been almost like a memory, but that was impossible, he had never seen Una Yamagawa before this day! And he had definitely never seen her dance by a river in a white dress. That was impossible.

"Sorry, I just zoned off. It was a long lesson, and religion isn't the most exiting lesson to have," he said.

"I actually found it quite interesting," he suddenly heard a light, but low voice say behind him. It gave him a shock, and he turned around quickly.

Una stood behind him, looking at Tea. She smiled nervously and rubbed her pendant. She swallowed once, and then bowed. "Thank you so much for saying something to that mean girl. I had no clue, what to do," she said, before she looked up and smiled at her.

Tea smiled back. "No problem. I can't stand that Emi Koroki. She's always like that when someone's getting more attention than her. Egoistic, little witch," she replied, mumbling the last part.

Una chuckled lightly at that comment. "Yes, she is, isn't she? I know her types are always out there, but I've never really met someone like her," she said. "Are there others like her in this sort of place?" She then asked, tilting her head to the side.

Yugi looked at her confused. How could someone never have met Emi's type? It was Tristan who answered her. "Well, I would say there's at least one mean girl in every year. Why do you ask? Weren't there any in your old class?"

Una shook her head. "No, because I've always been home schooled," she said, sounding a bit sad.

"That sounds lonely," Tea said. Una just shrugged. "It's okay. It meant I didn't leave many friends behind, so maybe it was for the better," she said.

Yugi felt a pang of pain, as she said that. "Never say that," he suddenly said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Friends are one of the greatest gifts in the world. I don't know what I would do without anyone of them," he said, pointing at his three best friends, suddenly remembering she didn't know who they were. "That is Joey Wheeler, Tea Gardner and Tristan Taylor, by the way," he said quickly.

She smiled, first at them, then at him. "And you are Yugi Mutou, the class president. Never forget to present yourself properly, that's what my godfather told me," she said. He felt himself blush for a second, making her chuckle again. She looked at Tea, Tristan and Joey with a pleasant expression. "I'm pleased to meet all of you. I hope you'll help me understand everything I don't understand," she said, earning her excited replies from all of them.

When the break ended after a nice chat with Una, he found himself looking at the silent girl thinking: _"Well, isn't she the sweetest person to ever walk this planet?"_

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><p><em><strong>AN: **_That's it for this chapter. Hope you liked it.

_**Special thanks to:**_

**Bensbarnsfan: **for being the first, to add my story to your "favorite stories" list. It made me more happy, than you can imagine.

**Scaevola2: **for being my first reviewer, first to add me to your "favorite authors" list and much more! Thank you :D

If I knew where both of you lived, I would send you the biggest cookie money can buy. :D

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><p>See you next chapter. <strong>- Nordic Twin<strong>


	3. An old friend

**_A/N:_ **Greetings readers. Nordic Twin is back with the third chapter of Long Lost Love, and boy, this was difficult to write. Luckily I got on a roll, and couldn't stop. Therefor, enjoy this longer chapter.

_****_I own nothing but my OC's, plot and this wonderful imagination I have.

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><p><em><strong>An old friend<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

"This is the library. A bit further down the hall, in room 120, is the location of the computer room," Yugi explained while pointing at the different rooms as they passed them. Una walked beside him, silently nodding to herself. She had asked him show her around, and he had said yes immediately.

"The library is in room 109, and the computer room in room 120. Got it," she mumbled.

Yugi looked at her, and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her face. Her expression was overly serious, signaling she was listening carefully to everything he said. It was strange, but funny, to see on a teenagers face. Most of the people he knew never listened when they got shown around at a place. But Una seemed to be genuinely interested in hearing everything he told her.

She looked at him confused. "What's so funny?" she asked.

Yugi laughed again. "It's your expression. I don't know anyone who looks that serious when they get shown around, but you're all seriousness. It's both nice and funny," he said, smiling at her.

She tilted her head to the side and rubbed it. She looked like she was thinking deeply. "But it is important for me to know all of this, so I must listen carefully. Plus, it would be impolite not to do so," she said.

He stared at her completely dumbfounded. _"She really is the sweetest girl I've ever met in my life,"_ he thought as he led her to the last stop on their tour: the schoolyard and dining area.

The dining area was placed on a level lower than the rest of the school, and was connected with the schoolyard by five big glass doors and a wall, mostly made out of glass. The walls were painted white, and the floor was made of black stones. It was light and airy, despite the many people who were there at the moment, and the tables placed in a hexagonal pattern. Una just stared at it, amazement clear in her eyes.

Yugi chuckled. "They built this recently. The last dining area was very small and dark, but the school got some money from the city hall and this came out of it. Pretty cool, huh?" He said. She just nodded.

"Yugi, Una! Over here!" He heard someone call. He looked towards the voice, and saw Joey waving at them, standing by a table with Tristan and Tea. He waved back and nudged Una slightly, since she just stood there without doing anything.

"Come on. Joey, Tea and Tristan are over there. Do you want to eat with us?" he said.

It was as if she snapped out of a trance, as she looked at him with a big smile. "I would love to. Thank you!" She said, going from shy and quiet, to happy and outgoing once again.

Yugi blinked a few times, confused by her sudden change in personality, but shook it off. _"It must be the new place or something like that. She's trying to find out how to act amongst us"_ he thought, as they walked towards the table. To his big surprise, Tea was wearing the new uniform as well. She grinned happily and twirled in front of them.

"Sooo? What do you think? I got it half an hour ago, and put it on immediately," she said, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Una immediately complimented her, and told her the new uniform looked much better on her, than it did on herself. "Black and white brings out the best in a woman," she said matter-of-factly.

Yugi was about to say that she indeed looked pretty, but was cut off by an annoyed voice saying: "All right, all right, we get it. You look dazzling, pretty, nice, etc., etc. The old uniform was awful, a horrible mistake made by the previous leaders of the school, worth nothing, yet again, etc. You don't have to point it out to everybody like some beauty queen."

Yugi looked over his shoulder and found Seto Kaiba standing behind them, looking just like his voice, and holding a laptop bag. "You made me leave the library, just to see some stupid new uniform? I swear, at the end of the day, all the girls will wear that, and I could've seen it at that point. This is a complete waste of valuable study time!" He said while a vein on his forehead became more visible.

Tea smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry, but that's not entirely true, I wanted you to meet…" she said, until she was interrupted.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" Una said.

_**Kaiba:**_

"_Oh no. Don't let it be_her_,"_he thought as the all too familiar voice interrupted Tea.

The girl in front of Tea turned around and grinned at him. He felt like someone had just hit him in the face, and he couldn't do a thing to hit back._"Why me? Dear God, why me?"_ he thought, as he saw, that it was indeed Una Yamagawa. The person he had expected the least to see at Domino High, and _the_ person he never wanted to see _him_at such a place.

"If it isn't Seto Kaiba. I thought you and your self-proclaimed almightiness were supposed to be in your big office at Kaiba Corp," she said, tilting her head to the side. He recognized it as the pose she got when she was thinking. And the look in her eyes told him she wasn't thinking nicely.

"Una Yamagawa. What an unexpected, awful pleasure to meet you again," he said, smiling rather stiffly and clenching his free hand. What he wouldn't give to get away from her that instant, but that wasn't going to happen. Not while she had that evil look in her eyes and that smug smile on her face.

"Ditto. Now, what are you doing here? I thought you exited High School last year," she said, and then faked a gasp. He knew, she knew exactly why he was there. He could only pray and hope, she wasn't going to rub it in. Sadly, there wasn't anyone to hear his prayers that day.

"Could it be that the famous Seto Kaiba, genius and one of the youngest multi-billionaires in the world, had to _repeat_his last year in something as simple as High School? I wonder what the members of IGA would think if they knew this," she said, her eyes twinkling in the most annoying way. He called it the "I-got-something-on-you-so-you-better-watch-your-back" look, and when Una Yamagawa aimed that look at someone, they knew it was going to be bad. Though this time, he had something on her too, and he sent the look back at her.

"I could ask you the same question, little miss pale, thin and perfect," he said, smirking the exact same way. "Then what are you doing here? Since I, and IGA for that matter, already know you've passed both High School and College, you shouldn't be here. You do know you have an IQ of 200, right? I wonder what the members of IGA would think if they knew this." He quoted her, and looked her straight in the eyes, hoping to see a little nervousness. Somehow he wasn't surprised when all he saw was anger.

"How many times do I have to say it, Kaiba? My IQ is NOT 200, but 170. That rumor about me being a super genius is not true! It's just that: a stupid RUMOR!" she sneered, clenching her hands. He just smirked wider.

"Well, sorry for not getting the exact number right, Yamagawa. Who am I to talk, anyway? You are, after all, co-president of IGA," he said, bowing just to mock her. Her face flushed, and she gritted her teeth.

"_Wait for it, she going to break in ten, nine, eight…"_ he thought, as she sucked in a deep breath. He knew she was going to yell at him, probably damaging his ears in the process, but it was worth it. Forcing Una Yamagawa out of her usual behavior and make her scream at the top her lungs was one of his favorite things to do. It was simply just too funny to see her transform into somewhat of a beast. He just had to wait for her breakdown.

"Three, two, one…" he counted and prepared himself for the loudness, but it never came. There only came a loud sigh, and it was over. He looked at her, a bit disappointed. "What? You're not going to yell at me?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No screams, no name calling, not even one of your irritating, high pitched squeals?" She shook her head again. "Why?" He asked.

She sighed once more. "First: It's my first day in this place, and I've already experienced so much that I'm exhausted enough as it is, so I don't need to waste good air on telling you off. Second: even though I could've done without your little comment about my IQ," she frowned, "I know it's weird I'm in a high school when I could help my father, but - this may sound weird - I'm here to improve my social skills. Third: I'm not going to tell IGA that you're repeating your last year of high school," she said with a calm expression.

Seto turned completely blank at the last part. He didn't understand. Why would she do that? What reasons had she to _not_ use this against him? He could only ask: "Why?"

She smiled a little smile at him. "Because it would be beyond humiliation if they found out. It would be an evil thing to do. And I'm not an evil person," she said, and turned around and began walking away.

He looked at her retreating back. "Is that the only reason?" He asked feeling confused. She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. She shook her head. "No, but I can't tell you the other reason. Let's just say it's sort of a repayment. If you will excuse me, I have some important things to do before the next class," she said, and disappeared into the crowd.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi couldn't believe what had just happened. Una and Kaiba knew each other! Even well enough that Una could tease and insult Kaiba without getting shouted at. Just insults and mocking, it was incredible.

"You know her?" Yugi asked Kaiba, when he stopped looking surprised and confused. He immediately looked like his usual bored and annoyed self.

"Yes, for years. She's one of the co-presidents of IGA. That's stands for International Genius Association," he said, explaining what that weird combination of letters meant. Yugi just nodded.

"She's the daughter of Hoshi Yamagawa, isn't she?" Yugi asked, earning a nod from Kaiba, who seemed to be more patient than usual.

"I guess you've heard then. Because I know her, I got that deal with Yama-Tech. Inc. They are specialized in microtechnology, and I need that for my next project. Very convenient," Kaiba answered, looking in the direction Una had disappeared.

"Wait a second. You mean that sweet, shy girl is the daughter of _the_ Hoshi Yamagawa? I thought he lived in Den… holy crap! When did that happen?" Joey exclaimed, looking at both Yugi and Kaiba, as if they had known this for ages.

"Don't look at me. I just heard it on the radio this morning," Yugi said as Kaiba sighed.

"I've known it since before I got that deal, but I had no clue she would attend this school. I had no clue she would attend a high school to improve social skills, though it makes sense. She's always been quiet and shy," he mumbled.

"That little 'conversation' you had before didn't make her seem quiet and shy to me," Tea said. She had looked surprised since Una had left.

Yugi could clearly understand it. He was equally surprised that Una had showed a bit of a temper, though he was even more surprised to see Kaiba this patient. It was new to him, well, to all of them, though Tea had told them, Kaiba could be nice when he wanted to. _"What has caused him to be like this around us? Could it be Una? Or is he just trying to impress Tea?"_ He thought, chuckling internally at the last part. It would be very Kaiba-like to do such a thing. The hidden gentleman, Tea had called him once, when she'd had her first proper conversation with him, and had shared the experience with her friends.

"She is, but when she's provoked enough, she literally explodes in rage," he smirked. "You should see her face when that happens. It's hilarious." He laughed evilly then.

Yugi did not, for some reason he didn't know, like to hear that. He wanted to see Una happy, not angry. Why would he want to, anyway? What fun was it, to make someone angry on purpose? Unless you were Kaiba of course; he _tried_to make Joey mad so they could have a duel, which Kaiba obviously would win.

Also, how had Una changed personality again that quickly? He had noticed a faint, golden glow from her pendant when Kaiba had arrived, and then again, as she calmed down, but it had disappeared just as quickly as it came, and her personality had changed. He could clearly recall that grin on her face and the tone she'd talked to him in. Also, he could recall that almost sad look on her face, when she'd left them. There were major differences between the two types of personalities. Had it something to do with the pendant? As far as he knew, crystals sparkled when in light, but Una had been standing in the shadows, and the crystal was clear, not golden. It was simply impossible that it should be able to glow golden.

He was lost in his thoughts for a while, until he heard Tea ask: "So what kind of relationship do you have with her?" She sounded a bit angry and hurt, with an expression to match. Yugi looked at her. Her face was slightly red, and her eyes twinkled with anger held back. Kaiba, on the other hand, put his hand on her head in a calming gesture.

"She's nothing but a very old friend and business partner. Honestly, she's more like a sister to me, a _very_ annoying sister. And trust me, I know she feels the same way around me. We keep arguing and constantly get on each other's nerves, purposely," he said in a somewhat soft voice. Tea's face became less red, but her eyes still shone with a bit of anger. Kaiba sighed.

"I don't see what the problem is, Tea. You have nothing to be jealous of. Last time someone asked Yamagawa if I dated her, she almost choked from laughter," he said calmly.

The anger disappeared from Tea's eyes, but she blushed a bit once more. He had used her first name, a sign of intimacy. Behind them, Joey and Tristan snickered. They were going to use it against her; that was for sure.

"Why do you irritate each other on purpose?" Yugi asked with his face in a frown. Kaiba looked at him with colder eyes, beginning to show signs of annoyance.

"I told you before. It's funny to see her get mad. She's like a spoiled four year old when that happens," he said, his left eyebrow twitching impatiently. He then quickly looked at his watch and turned around. "I'm leaving; I've wasted enough time," he said as he began walking.

Yugi wanted very much to hear more about Una. She seemed like a nice, but mysterious, person and he had so many questions to her, but he was afraid to ask her directly. If Kaiba could tell him just a bit more about her, then he was sure it would help him understand and know her better. Maybe he could find a way to make her smile brightly, and not those small smiles. They somehow felt very sad. So Yugi followed him.

"What do you want?" Kaiba asked when he noticed Yugi, completely back to his normal self since Tea wasn't around anymore and he didn't have to behave nicely.

"I want to know more about Una Yamagawa," Yugi answered. He saw no reason to lie about what he wanted. Kaiba glared at him.

"Then why don't you talk with her instead of bugging me?" Kaiba asked, frowning deeply. "I have homework to do, plus my business work! It's not easy to run a world known company and follow high school at the same time!" He walked faster, but Yugi could easily match his pace. It was an advantage he'd gotten when he'd grown.

"Because she's new, and I don't want to plague her with questions. You should've seen her in class. The other students surrounded her and bombed her with questions. I can't do that to her; she has to settle down first," Yugi looked determined at Kaiba. He wasn't going to give up. Kaiba glared at him even more.

"And then you thought, you could ask me about her instead, just because I seem to know her that much?" He asked, earning a nod from Yugi. They had reached the library, currently the place you could find Kaiba the most. He sighed and sat down at a table.

"I may have known her for years, but to tell you the truth, I almost don't know a thing about Yamagawa," he admitted. Yugi looked at him with surprise.

"But you just said she's like a sister to you!" Yugi exclaimed. It was Kaiba's turn to nod. "Then how can it be that you don't know her?" Yugi demanded, earning a piercing glare from Kaiba, silently telling him not to dare talk to him like that again.

"Because Yamagawa rarely speaks about herself, Mutou. I may have known her for years, but I've only heard her mention something brief about herself six times or so," he said obviously trying to keep his temper down. "Look, it's a long story, and the break is almost over. Can't you hear it another time?" He asked, but Yugi shook his head.

"I have got plenty of time, since I've got an hour of self studies after the break. And I know you do, too; you wouldn't have headed for the library if you didn't," Yugi knew he had him in a tight spot. There was almost no way for him to escape. Kaiba almost growled.

"Fine! But only if you'll leave me alone the second I've finished telling you what I know," he groaned.

Yugi smiled in his usual good natured way and nodded. Kaiba sighed, annoyed, and closed his eyes for a second, as if preparing himself before telling the story. Then he opened them and said: "I met her for the first time about 5 years ago…"

Meanwhile on the roof:

_**?:**_

She was standing on the roof of the school. Below her she could see and hear Emi Koroki, who was busy planning some kind of evil joke on Una Yamagawa, the new transfer student. Rage flared within her, and she felt nothing but hate towards the girl on the ground.

"Abject human," she sneered. "Your lack of heart and your constant need to be in the spotlight is sickening me. Many have suffered under your evil deeds, but it will end today!"

She stepped up on the edge of the roof, took a deep breath and jumped down without making a sound.

_**Emi:**_

She was almost done with her master plan. That little foreign cow, Una Yamagawa, was going to regret she had even thought about entering Domino High. She would be so embarrassed, and no one would look in her direction. Not even that stupid Tea Gardner.

"_I'm going to get revenge on her too. Stupid b****. How dare she talk to me that way?"__s_he thought.

"And what do you think you're doing?" She suddenly heard a cool voice say. Emi quickly turned around and stared dumbfounded.

Behind her stood a person wearing a light purple cloak with a hood. She couldn't see anything of the person, except the eyes, which regarded her coolly. The person stood about four meters away from her, but even at that distance, she could see they were gold brown.

"Come on, answer me girl!" The cloaked person demanded in a harsh voice and slowly walked towards her.

Emi regained her wits at the command and movement, and frowned angrily. No one was allowed to speak to her like that. And if the person thought it was going to come closer to her, it was dead wrong.

"Why should I answer a freak like you?" She asked and smiled evilly, though she in reality was a bit scared. "Who are you? What are you doing here? You better get away from me, or I call the police," Emi shouted, trying to scare the person away.

But instead of running away, like Emi had hoped, the person chuckled grimly, and pulled out a pendulum of some clear substance.

"I am the guardian of the Crystal pendulum," the person said, the voice revealing it was a woman. Sparks started to fly from the pendulum.

"Let's play a game."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**That's it, hope you enjoyed it. Personally, I think the little fight between Una and Kaiba it quite funny, though it was the hardest part to write.

Feel free to review. Any constructive criticism will be accepted with happiness. Just no flames, that's all I ask for.

* * *

><p>See you next chapter. - <strong>Nordic Twin<strong>


	4. The story of an unkown friend

**A/N: **(Pokes head out from under a bed. Looks around for possible angry readers.) Hello, remember me? The little nervous girl, who writes this story, and haven't updated in ages? No? (Sighs). I thought so.

I have lots of reasons why I haven't updated, one of them being a huge writers block and an equal amount of laziness. I mean, I really wanted to write this chapter, but when I sat down at my laptop, it was as if it pulled me towards You Tube and reading fanfics, instead of writing my own. And when I finally opened the document with the story, I could only write five words at a time! SO FRUSTATING! Also, my school life is very busy. I'm in a boarding school, and the day is first over at 17:15, and then we have to clean the school before dinner, meaning I only have spare time after 18:30. If you add homework and time with friends to that it equals one busy Nordic Twin!

Other than that, this chapter is actually one of my favorites. I'm almost done with the introduction chapters, maybe one more to go, and then I'll finally get to write all the exciting stuff. Yay :D

Well, after this looooong A/N, I here by present: Chapter 4, of Long Lost Love.

_-Japanese and Flashback-_

_-**Danish-**_

**-English-**

* * *

><p><em><strong>The story of an unknown friend<strong>_

_**Kaiba:**_

"I met her for the first time about five years ago," Kaiba said while looking into the air. He felt almost nostalgic at the memory.

"Gozaburo wanted to get his hands on some of Yama-Tech. Inc's newest technology. I do not remember what it was anymore, but he wanted to use it in some kind of weapon, so it had to be important." He frowned at the thought. Contrary to what many would think, Kaiba had no respect for weapons and those who used them, and had never supported the troops in other countries. Any kind of war and use of weapons was wrong; even though the governments thought it was for the best, it never solved anything. He shook his head and regained focus on the memory.

"He arranged a meeting with the CEO of Yama-Tech. Inc.: Hoshi Yamagawa. He was less experienced in the way of business back then, so Gozaburo expected it would be easy to get the deal. What he didn't expect was that Mr. Yamagawa brought his wife and child," Kaiba said. A somewhat happy smile entered his face. "That was my first encounter with Una Yamagawa."

He looked at Yugi, checking if he still had all of his attention on the story. Not surprisingly, Yugi looked serious and listened carefully to what he said. It suddenly dawned on Kaiba.

"_Yugi is falling for Yamagawa. Who would've thought? And he probably doesn't even know it himself yet,"_ he thought, chuckling internally, before he continued.

"So this child of Hoshi Yamagawa was going to spend a whole day with Mokuba and me. We thought it would be a boy we were going to be with, but much to our surprise he presented a girl." Suddenly he lost himself completely in the memory.

**Flashback:**

"_This is Una. Be careful around her. She's very frail and I don't want to see her hurt when I get her back," a tall man with black hair said as he gently pushed a thin and pale girl towards Mokuba and him, before he left for the meeting. He just stared at her. His first day away from the books in months, and he had to spend it with a girl, who looked like the wind could knock her over if it was strong enough. Was it some kind of evil joke? _

"_Great, this is going to be so much fun," he mumbled sarcastically._

**End of Flashback.**

"For almost 5 minutes she stood where her father had left her. She didn't say anything; she just looked at us, and we at her. If Mokuba hadn't approached her, I'm sure we would've kept that up for much longer," he said, once again losing himself in the memory.

**Flashback:**

"_Hello. It's nice to meet you. My name is Mokuba, and this is my big brother Seto," Mokuba said, holding his hand out towards her. She looked at Mokuba with big eyes and took a step back, as if she was afraid of them. Mokuba gave her a confused look. "What is wrong with her, Seto?" _

_He looked at the girl who just stood there shaking and staring. He tilted his head to the side. What caused her to back away from them like that? "I don't know," he answered calmly, before he pushed Mokuba a few steps back, and politely bowed to the girl. She might be ruining his day, but he didn't want her to be afraid of them. _

"_Why are you afraid of us? We have no intentions in hurting you. I find it offensive that you would even think that," he said, looking at her with a reproachful look in his eyes._

_Suddenly she stopped shaking and gave them a small, insecure smile. __She looked at both of them and said: __**"Undskyld, men jeg kan ikke forstå hvad I siger. Jeg taler ikke så godt japansk endnu".**__(I'm sorry, but I can't understand what you are saying. __I don't speak Japanese that well yet)._

_He looked at her, unable to understand what she had just said. It was some weird kind of language, and it suddenly dawned upon him, that even though she had a Japanese name, she was born and lived in Denmark. She probably couldn't speak their language, thus being unable to understand them. Mokuba looked at him and asked: "What did she say?" Mokuba looked confused, that the girl had first stepped back, then spoken in a strange language._

_He looked at his younger brother and patted his head. "I don't know, but let me try something," he said._

**End of Flashback.**

Kaiba turned to Yugi, and explained he had asked her if she spoke English, and had been rewarded with yet another little smile from Una, this time a happy one. She had said yes and repeated what she'd said in Danish, but translated it to English. Mokuba had been happy to be able to understand her, and had started talking with their guest. He, on the other hand, had only talked to her when Mokuba drew him into the conversation, or he had something to add. She sat opposite them in some big chairs in the room they were in and seemed to listen carefully them and seemed to understand everything, but despite that, she didn't say much; only a word here and there and nothing about herself, as if she thought she was better than them. He had found it quite frustrating, and confronted her on it, when Mokuba had left them for a few minutes after lunch.

**Flashback:**

"**Why won't you say anything? Is it because you think you're better than Mokuba and I?"**_ He asked regarding her coolly. She just looked at him, and put her head to the side. The simple gesture infuriated him even more, than he already was._

"**What is your problem with us, Yamagawa? You're not richer than us, not even close to be, and Kaiba Corp. has even more power than your father could even dream about getting! At least try to behave properly, instead of the stuck up, anorexic little brat you are!"**_He said, his expression mirroring his voice. She paled for a second, then her face turned red and her eyes narrowed._

"**Excuse me?"**_She said, her voice low, almost a whisper, but even. Her fingers twitched._

"**Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you also were deaf, or are you too stuck up to care about what others tell you? Or maybe you're just a moron with no IQ? That would suit you, you dumb blonde!"**_ He sneered. That hit her. He watched as she turned completely rigid for a second, and then…_

**End of Flashback.**

"To that day, I had never truly felt the need to take my own words back, but when I saw her face, and felt her rage… well, let's just say I learned not to cross certain lines when it comes to her, that's for sure," Kaiba said, shuddering at the memory. He glanced at Yugi for a moment, only to find his rival shaking with suppressed laughter. He was going to pay for that later, Kaiba decided. But for now, he had a story to tell.

"In other words, the volcano that is Yamagawa's temper, erupted," he sighed.

**Flashback:**

_He heard the sound of the slap, before he realized her palm had collided with his face, and it stung. His mind went blank as he stared at the red-faced girl, whose eyes burned like brown flames._

"**YOU CALLED ME A WHAT?"**_ She yelled, her hands turned into fists and her face transformed into that of a beast. _**"Why, you infantile, mean, jerk-ish son of a dirty old hag! Never have I been this insulted! How dare you, Seto Kaiba, how dare you?"**_She shrieked and slapped him again, while he just stood there, unable to say anything. _

_She stood on her toes, so she could yell him straight in the face. _**"If you really want to know, then I can tell you that I don't trust the sons of a man who makes weapons, and I'm only here, because my father said I should! On further note I can tell you, that I'm member of the world renowned International Genius Association; thus I am not stupid! I have an IQ of 170, and I'm finishing my last year of high school in my home country!"**_ Her face paled as she yelled at him, and she seemed to have gotten out some of her anger. _

_At that point he had gotten over the shock of being slapped and yelled at, and asked:_**"Then why can't you speak Japanese yet? And why are you that thin? Surely, you must have some kind of eating disorder".**

**End of Flashback.**

"She started telling me off in French, then Chinese, through German to Dutch, Italian and Spanish, and topped it off with Latin and a few ancient languages," he said and sighed. "It was her way of telling me, she hadn't gotten the time to master Japanese, yet."

Yugi's eyes were big, and his face a bit red. He was still trying to keep his laughter down, but didn't succeed, as a few snorts escaped him.

"It is not funny, Mutou! I know she doesn't seem to be like the type, but Yamagawa has a temper, that's not to play around with. I've experienced the outcomes of it in person!"

**Flashback:**

_She tried to hit him with a perfect circular kick, which he avoided by ducking. Provoked by her attack, he pushed her legs away under her and made her fall. He stood and turned around, but forgot the first rule in battle: never turn your back to an enemy. Thus soon he found himself lying on his back with the so called frail girl towering above him, while she grinned triumphantly, though her eyes were hard._

"**I thought you were frail!"**_ He exclaimed, surprised by the strength the girl had, even though she was thin and pale. She snorted lightly._

"**That'll teach you a thing or two about judging other people**_," she said coldly. _**"Just because I'm thin and pale, doesn't mean I'm anorexic, you jerk". **

_He looked up at her, puzzled by this mysterious girl. She was strong, yet thin and pale as a sheet. She seemed shy, but somehow he had triggered her into showing off she had a temper to be reckoned with, too. And he doubted anyone else knew about this. He wanted to ask her about it, but didn't get to it, as they were interrupted._

**End of Flashback.**

Kaiba looked into the air, as he told Yugi about the little incident, with him getting beaten by a girl. He had never told anyone about it, since he thought it was embarrassing, and he made Yugi swear he wouldn't tell anyone about it. Still, Yugi chuckled lightly, making Kaiba want to get over with the story fast. He changed the subject, by telling him about Mokuba's interruption.

"He had apparently returned while we were arguing, and had seen Yamagawa stand up to me. It impressed him so much, he began calling her…"

**Flashback:**

"_**May I call you**__ Onee-sama?" Mokuba asked Yamagawa. She looked at him with a confused expression, and asked him for a translation._

"**It means 'big sister'. It's his way of showing respect towards you," **_he explained._

_She smiled lovingly at this and patted Mokuba on the head. Her eyes twinkled at him and she bent down, so she could look him in the eyes._

"**Of course you can, I'd love to be called that," **_she said, and turned towards him. She was about to say something, when the door opened, and a small blonde woman with blue eyes walked in._

"_**Una, min skat, vi skal hjem nu," **__she said. __(Una, my darling, we're going home now.) _

_Una looked happily at the woman and nodded. __**Jeg kommer mor. Lige et øjeblik," **__she said. __(I'm coming mommy. Just a moment.) _

_She turned back towards Mokuba and him and said:"_**It is time for me to leave now, my mother is here. It has been nice to meet both of you,"**_she bowed for them, and shook their hands. She looked him straight in the eyes and said in a clear voice:_** "We will finish our little discussion next time we meet, Kaiba". **

_He went out of his way, and smiled at her, getting the hint and accepting the challenge. _**"I hope it'll be at one of the IGA's meetings. That is if you are willing to put a word in for me?" **_He said. _

_She nodded eagerly. _**"Of course! Also, with your brother calling me big sister, I guess I'll have to accept you as a brother," **_she said, the cheerfulness leaving her voice, as she realized what she just said. He nodded at this. Though they didn't like it, they accepted and respected each other. And that was how it fitted them the best._

**End of Flashback.**

"The next time I met her, was indeed at one of the IGA's meetings. We argued, fought and talked ourselves into accepting each other as sort of a brother and sister. Mokuba loves her, he's always asking me about Una-nee-sama when I've been at one of IGA's meetings, or talked with her on the phone. As for myself, I've accepted her reserve and secretiveness as being a part of her. Therefore…" he said, trailing off at the last part.

Yugi nodded at this, understanding what Kaiba didn't say. "You don't know that much about her, because you know her well enough, to know that's just how she is. In other words, she needs her personal space and privacy," he said.

Kaiba nodded back. "To tell you the truth, I want to know more about her too. I would like if she trusted me a bit more. After all, she's the only one I would trust Mokuba with if anything happened to me," he said, sighing a bit.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi stared at him, taken aback by the last sentence. _"Kaiba actually trusts her? And he would leave Mokuba with her?"_ He thought.

He was about to say something when, over the school's speaker system, a voice called all the class presidents had to come to the teacher's lounge, and Yugi stood.

"I have to leave now, thank you for telling me all that," Yugi said. Kaiba didn't answer him. He was already engaging himself in his studies. However, he lifted his hand and waved at Yugi a single time. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit, when he walked down the hall towards the teacher's lounge. Who would've thought Kaiba to have a more gentle side, or the thin, ill-looking Una Yamagawa to be able to beat him in a fight?

"The world's full of surprises. And it seems Una Yamagawa has a lot of surprises in that thin body. It's going to be fun figuring them out," he mumbled to himself, happy to get a new puzzle on his hands.

Yes, Una was a puzzle. And he was going to figure her out, little by little. Somewhere inside him, he felt a little spark of warmth as he thought about her. He decided to make it his new mission to discover who Una was, beneath the layer of shyness. It would take time, but he was sure it was worth it in the end.

Little did he know, that his seemingly harmless decision, was going to set a new chain of events in motion.

_**Meanwhile, with Emi and ?:**_

"What is this?" Emi screamed, as thin white and black strings shot out from the pendulum, surrounded her body and tied her to the ground. The cloaked woman chuckled.

"These are the strings of fortune. Depending on a person's good and evil deeds, they determine the future. It's actually quite simple: many good deeds, the white strings, equal a bright future," she said, the golden brown eyes shining with some sort of amusement, before they turned cold.

"Many evil deeds, the black ones, on the other hand… let's just say it's not pretty," she said. "And if we take a closer look at your strings," her voice turned to a whisper, before she fell silent.

Emi looked at her body and gasped. Almost all of her strings were black. Actually, if she had been able to move her hands, she would have been able to count the white ones on two hands. The black strings tightened their grip a little bit each second, and she began to struggle in their grasp, just making the strings tightening even more.

"Please help me! They won't let go!" She begged panic-stricken. The woman laughed.

"Of course not, it's you after all. These strings were made from your decisions, and you can't escape from what's a part of you," she said.

Emi tried to scream, but was made silent by a bunch of strings wrapping themselves around her mouth. She struggled again, and this time she succeeded in making her mouth free.

"It's not true! I'm not evil! Please, help me…" she whispered, before the strings once again wrapped themselves around her face, making her unable to talk and see. Though she could still breathe, she knew the strings would soon suffocate her. The woman laughed.

"Relax, I'm not going to let the strings kill you," she said, as if she'd read Emi's mind. "But depending on the outcome of my little test, I will determine what's going to happen to you," the woman's voice then disappeared, as the strings wrapped themselves around her ears.

Suddenly Emi felt something fill her mind, and she heard the woman's voice in her head.

"This is the judging of your hidden self. In other words: your sub consciousness. I will get to know all of your secrets. Enjoy, I've heard it should be a very exciting experience," the woman said.

Emi felt something entering some unknown part of her. She let out a silent scream, and then she saw nothing but old memories, passing her sight faster than anything she'd ever seen.

_**?:**_

She hovered around in Emi's mind, looking through all of the girls memories. She saw selfishness, envy and other things, all well hidden beneath a layer of what the girls thought she was and sought: perfection and popularity. And she would do anything, just to reach that goal.

"This girl cannot keep going on like this. I have to teach her a lesson," she said.

She broke off the mind link, and held the Crystal pendulum over Emi.

"Penalty: mirror personality," she said. The pendulum shone brightly, and sent a cascade of light over Emi.

She turned around on her heels and left Emi to wake up on her own.

"Once again, justice has been given," she said, before she disappeared in a beam of bright light.

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><p><strong>How to pronounce the letters unknown to the English alphabet, seen in this chapter: <strong>

**Å: **Sounds like the first sound you make, when you say Oh.

**Ø: **If you know any German, it's the same sound as Ö. Otherwise, it sounds like the second sound the mayor from the Simpsons makes when he doesn't know what to say.

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><p><strong>AN: **well... anyone like this? I hope you enjoy my little introduction to the danish language. Since I'm a dane, it felt natural to add a bit. Also, I hope the little: "How to pronounce" here at the end is to any help.

BTW: I'm going to experiment a little with japanese forms of address in the next chapter.

Well, without anything else to add... See you next chapter.

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><p>-Nordic Twin.<p> 


	5. First names

_**A/N:** _Wow, this is a first in a long time: Nordic Twin uploading twince in a month? Le GASP! Wait... what... a DOUBLE upload? Oh my, this is amazing. (Laughs.)

Yeah, so I've writing like a maniac for the past few days, thanks to the Easter Holidays. I cost me a cramp in both of my hands, but I feel great. Originally these two were a single chapter, but then it would've been 11 pages or more. That's a bit long for one chapter, so I decided to split it, plus: I've got a bit of news for you.

You see, I'm in this boarding school focusing on music and singing. This means EVERYBODY have to participate in the school choir. And this choir is going to Germany on tour! If I, by chance, have any german readers, and you live in, or near, Weimar and Erfurt, I wold be very happy if you'd like to come and hear us. We sing both classic music - like Ave Maria -, and rock - like Bohemian Rhapsody. (Sorry for the commercial, I'm just really excited about this!)

Well, enough rambling from me. Enjoy the chapter.

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><p><em><strong>First names<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi stood with his head held high in front of the principal of Domino High, a middle-aged man, and waited to hear what he had to say. The principal had called them together for some unknown reason, something he rarely did. Currently, the man was pacing in front of Yugi and the other class presidents, one from each class.

"You all probably wonder why I've called you here," he finally said, not stopping his nervous pacing. The students nodded silently. They knew when they needed to answer verbally, and now certainly wasn't the time to do that. The principal looked at them with stern eyes.

"As Mr. Mutou here already knows, we've got another very rich and powerful student here at Domino High today. She's going to be a part of this student body until she graduates," he said, finally stopping and standing right in front of them.

"Her father is very powerful, and he both can and will demolish this entire school if she gets hurt, or if he gets any reason to complain about something. It would be very bad if she got a bad impression of the school, on her first day," he said, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He quickly dabbed them away, but new ones continued to appear.

For a few minutes, they looked at the nervous man and each other, waiting for someone to speak. At last Yugi caught the eyes of a few of the other class presidents and smiled. They nodded to each other, before Yugi said: "We understand, Mr. Principal. We'll keep an eye on her for a while".

The principal smiled relieved at them, but a girl from one of the first year classes asked, "I don't get it. What does this rich girl have to do with us?" The question earned her a few baffled stares from Yugi and the others. Had she really not gotten the point?

"The principal wants us to make sure her first weeks at Domino High become pleasant ones, Kokatsuna-san*," Yugi explained. The girl then nodded eagerly, her body language signaling "got it!" in all ways.

"Of course we'll be nice to her, sir. That would be an honor. Umm, what is her name?" She said.

Yugi smiled at her. The girl's name was Sobokuna* Kokatsuna. She was a sweet girl, but he had always thought her first name fitted her perfectly, though her last name seemed a bit out of place. She really didn't seem to be cunning. And because of her naivety, Yugi couldn't help but laugh at her expression, when he said "Una Yamagawa." She looked completely stunned, but in her defense, the rest of the class presidents did, too.

Then the principal dismissed the small crowd, and they returned to their classes. Yugi, however, stayed for a few moments and looked at the principal.

"I promise to take good care of her, sir, and my friends will as well. She's very nice, not anything like Seto Kaiba. You have my word that nothing bad is going to happen to her. You have my word," Yugi said.

The principal just smiled at him and said, "That's nice to hear, Mr. Mutou. I trust you to keep that promise." Yugi nodded and left.

_**Sobokuna:**_

"_Well, so it's Una Yamagawa we have to be nice to. Oh, dear principal. Trust me to be _very_nice to her. Just wait, we'll be the best of friends, and then I'm going to become rich and famous, too," _Sobokuna thought as she walked towards her classroom.

Sobokuna really wasn't as naïve as she seemed to be; most of it was acting, and she used this to her advantage. People always gave her the answers she needed when she asked about something because when she acted that way, she was treated nicely, and no one expected anything special from her. In that way, she was just as cunning as her name said.

"_Soon I'll be at all the red carpet events, yes sir. It'll be easy," _she thought as she threw her green hair over her shoulder. All she needed was a plan, and a way to get close to the girl. Normally first year students hadn't much to do with the older classes, so it wouldn't be easy.

Her thoughts, however, were disturbed when a clear voice spoke to her from behind her: "Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the music room? I'm kind of lost right now."

Sobokuna turned around and looked in the eyes of a pale, blond-haired girl. As she had never seen this girl before, and taking in the fact that she was lost, she quickly figured out it was Una Yamagawa. She smiled brightly at her, but not because she was excited to help her._"Somebody up there likes me! This couldn't be easier," _she thought, having the perfect plan ready in seconds.

"Of course," Sobokuna said, sounding as sweet as possible. "It's right this way. You're new here, aren't you?" Una nodded. "Nice to meet you, my name is Sobokuna Kokatsuna. Wow, you must be a musician, since you're going to the music room. That's so cool, I love playing music myself. I'm sure we'll going to get along very well, you and I," she said, faking interest and friendliness.

"_This is going to be _so _easy," _she thought, as she gently laid out her devious plan.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi silently walked around the school, looking for Una. He hadn't seen her since she had left at lunch, and the school day was almost over, with only one class left: physical education. He was pretty sure Una didn't know where the gym was, and he intended to show her.

He was about to ask a teacher if he'd seen the new student when he suddenly heard a loud giggle, and someone say, "Oh, you're so funny, Yamagawa-san. How on earth does anyone stay as beautifully thin as you are? Come one, what's the trick?"

Yugi turned around and saw Una walking arm in arm with Sobokuna, the latter chatting away at an impossible speed, obviously enjoying herself. Una on the other hand looked very uncomfortable, and her smile was stiff. Yugi sighed. _"Trust Sobokuna to find her and becoming too friendly. She really is naïve. Well, better help Una," _he thought, though he was relieved he'd finally found Una.

"There you are, Yamagawa-san. I've been looking for you. It's almost time for gym," he said, smiling as she looked at him with a relieved expression.

"Thank you, Mutou-kun," she said, and turned to Sobokuna. "Could I have my arm back, please?" She asked politely.

Sobokuna immediately let go of Una's arm and quickly said, "Why, of course, Yamagawa-san. Stupid me, you're probably busy, too. It was nice to meet you; I'll see you soon, bye!"

Sobokuna then nodded at Yugi and ran off to where she was supposed to be. He sighed deeply, and turned to look at Una, as she said: "Thanks, you saved me there. That girl is…"

Yugi looked at her face. It was still a bit stiff, but it seemed to be returning to a softer, more relaxed state. He waited for her to continue, but it didn't seem like she was going to. He wondered why that was, but suddenly he got it.

"Yes, she's quite a handful sometimes, but that's just the way she is," he said. Una just nodded, and then turned to look him in the eyes, a smile on her face.

Yugi suddenly felt something shooting through him again, but much stronger than earlier. It was as if it entered through his eyes, shot directly into his mind, then moved on to his heart and entered his soul. He almost felt like taking a step back, but he didn't. Instead he shifted his weight on his legs a few times, and took a few deep breaths. He felt light headed and a few spots danced in front of his eyes for a few seconds.

Then it was over, and Una looked at him with concern radiating from her expression. "Is something wrong? You look like someone just hit you," she said. He just shook his head.

"It's nothing. I just …" he said, desperately trying to think of something to say.

"Discovered that you have a pretty smile," he blurted out, before he even registered the words. He felt his face redden from embarrassment, and he wanted to hit himself. Una on the other hand, looked completely stunned.

"_Why did I say that? Stupid, stupid, stupid! What will she say? What am I_ _going to say? Apologize, I have to apologize," _he thought, but before he could do that, Una giggled.

"Thank you so much, Mutou-kun. Then I will smile as much as I can, whenever you're around," she said, treating him to another smile. Yugi then realized what he'd said was the truth, and nothing more. She really had a beautiful smile, and he decided he liked it. As that dawned upon him, he got a warm feeling inside his chest, though it was ruined a bit, by that power shooting through him, when she'd looked him in the eyes.

"_What is this feeling?" _He thought, motioning for her to follow him to the gym. _"And what was that strange power before? Did that power come from her? What if it did? Oh, cut it out, it's nothing!" _he said to himself, refusing to believe there was anything strange about Una.

He heard her light steps catching up to him, and soon she was walking next to him, but she struggled a bit to keep up to his pace. Almost subconsciously, he slowed down so she wouldn't have to exhaust herself. She looked so frail; how did she even manage to walk around? He chased the thought away from his mind. He shouldn't judge a book by its cover; she was probably much stronger than she looked.

He was pulled from his silent bubble of thoughts when Una's voice interrupted him.

"Hey, do you think you and your friends could just call me Una? I don't like being called by my last name," she said suddenly, with no apparent reason. He looked at her for a moment, and then he smiled.

"Of course, but on one condition," he answered, earning him a confused look from her. "That you call us by our first names, too, ok?"

She smiled at him, obviously very happy by this request.

"Sure!" She said.

***Kokatsuna: cunning. **

***Sobokuna: naïve. **

**Kun and San: adding "kun" after the last name when talking to someone, is a polite way of addressing boys. The same goes with "san" though it's used around girls.**

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><p><strong><em>AN: _  
><strong>Well, thats it for this chapter, shorter than I usually write, but then again, you do get two chapters today.

**Special thanks: **Today I would like to thank:

**xxxPureRosexxx: **Your review just about made my day :D You deserve a cookie!

**Scaevola2: **Why I want to thank you? Because I felt like it and you're awesome XD. Thank you so much for supporting my story. A virtual snicker doodle for you :)

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><p>See you all next chapter.<p>

-Nordic Twin.


	6. Little sister

_**A/N: **_This is the second chapter I upload today. As I said in previous A/N's, I'm going to Germany. Consider this an 'I'm-sorry-I'm-a-bad-author' double update. I'm proud to proclaim, that this is about the final introduction chapter. The following chapters will have a bit more action and mystery. I thank you all for being patient with me. I hope I'll be able to write faster, because I've _finally_ gotten over the boring, but necessary, stuff. TOOK LONG ENOUGH!

... what the heck am i doing? Well, enough said. And because I forgot it in my previous chapters, I've decided to do the disclaimer in a funny way. With help from my second OC: Hanabi Yamagawa!

**Hanabi: **Nordic Twin does not own anything, except this story and her characters... wait... does this mean I'm not real?

**Nordic Twin: **ehm... enjoy the story! (I feel like such a loser right now...)

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><p><em><strong>Little sister<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

After many hours, the school day was finally over. Yugi was completing the last of his daily tasks: cleaning the class room. Joey, Tea, and Tristan had stayed longer to help him.

"That was it. Thanks for the help," Yugi said, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead. Though it didn't seem like it, cleaning the classroom was a bit hard. All the desks had to be wiped, the blackboard needed to get cleaned as well as the sponge used to do this, a few stray books needed to be returned to their place on the bookshelf, the garbage cans had to get emptied and the floor had to get cleaned. When this was done, Yugi could finally proclaim that the day was over.

"You're welcome, Yugi," Tea said, as Joey continued with "That's what friends are for, man."

Yugi couldn't but feel a bit proud of what they had done. The classroom was practically shining, according to him, and they had done it in much less time than he would've been able to on his own.

"All right, I'm going to get something to eat. Anyone care to join me?" Joey said, and Tristan and Tea immediately agreed. Yugi, too, thought it was a good idea. They had just had gym after all, and he was both hungry and exhausted.

"_Speaking of gym, I wonder where Una went,"_Yugi thought as he recalled something that happened earlier.

**Flashback:**

_They were all running around the track, warming up before they were going to play a match of soccer. Yugi looked at Una, who was running on his left and a few meters in front of him. He had, much to his surprise, discovered that not only was she very pale, but she was also thin. He hadn't discovered that earlier because of the school uniform, but from Kaiba's story about her, he should've figured out she had to be thin. Also, much to his surprise, she seemed to be very strong physically._

_She ran at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow, but fast enough to be in front of him constantly, and he was one of the faster students. He was about to quicken his pace to run next to her, when she suddenly slowed down rather quickly. Yugi ran over to her and asked, "What's wrong?"_

_She coughed a bit and stopped running. She breathed in hard and whispered: "Nothing, I just feel a bit dizzy, that's all"._

_Yugi didn't believe her and helped her to a nearby bench. After a while, the coach came over and ordered Yugi to return to the track, which he did reluctantly. While he ran, he shot a glance at the bench, where Una sat talking to the coach. After a while he glanced again, and discovered Una was gone._

**End of flashback.**

Yugi wondered if Una was okay. She had looked even paler than earlier, and her body had shaken a bit. He thought about all kinds of illnesses she could've gotten, when something suddenly dawned upon him.

"_Of course, she didn't eat lunch! That's what's wrong. Lack of food and water makes people ill, but she was probably too embarrassed to admit it to me. She doesn't like to show weakness,"_he thought, relief filling him, though it got beaten down, when he realized what he had added to his thoughts. He had no idea why he suddenly thought that. Heck, he had known her for a bit less than a day, how was it possible for him to know that?

He was pulled from his thoughts when Tea suddenly asked, "Who is that girl out there?"

Yugi looked out of the window and saw, much to his surprise, that there actually stood a little girl by the gate of the school. Her hair was black and she was looking at the sky, but that was all he could see clearly, since their classroom was on the second floor. Yugi frowned a bit.

"I don't know. Let's go and find out what she's doing here," he said, and he walked out of the classroom.

When Yugi, followed by Tea, Tristan and Joey, got down to the yard in front of the school, the girl was standing with her back against the wall and a black book in her left hand, in which she quickly was scribbling something. He discovered she wasn't a high school student, but middle school.

The girl looked to be about 13 to 14 years old. Her hair reached her shoulders, around which it hung loose, and shone in the light from the afternoon sun. Her skin tone was light, but her cheeks were slightly pink, probably caused by the chillness the air still had in it, since it was mid-spring.

Much to his surprise, she wasn't wearing the uniform of Domino Public Middle School. Instead she wore a light blue skirt, a white shirt and a dark blue jacket with brass buttons. A sky blue ribbon was hidden under the collar of her shirt, the visible ends tied into a loose bow. She wore a pair of pure white socks and black patent leather shoes on her feet. Over her shoulder she wore a little black leather bag. She was rather cute. Like a child playing business woman.

"Excuse me," Yugi said. The girl looked up from her book and smiled at him. Her eyes were light grey, but had little, almost invisible, tints of blue in them.

"Yes?" she asked. She straightened her back at the sight of them and dusted off her skirt. The little motion told Yugi that this girl was from an environment where looks seemed to rank highly in the social life.

"What are you doing here, miss?" He asked, hoping he wasn't too impolite. The girl just continued smiling at him.

"I'm waiting," she answered, an innocent and gentle look in her eyes. Yugi waited for a few moments, thinking that she was going to tell them what she was waiting for, but she didn't. She just smiled at them, seemingly ignorant about the fact that she hadn't really answered them properly.

"What are you waiting for?" he finally asked after a while. Again she smiled at him and giggled.

"Many things," came her answer. "I'm waiting for the sun to go down and for the moon to come forth. I'm waiting to grow, learn and become free of my parents. But right now I'm waiting for my Onee-sama. She told me she was going to be late at school, so I decided to wait for her," she continued.

Tea smiled at the little girl, looking like the smaller girl was the most adorable thing in the universe. "Aren't you a darling? Does your sister always follow you home?" She asked, bending down, so she could be at eye-level with her.

The girl shook her head. "No. Onee-sama is almost always home when I get back from school. So I decided I should wait for her, instead of going back to our house, where I'd be all alone," she said, sounding excited and happy about her idea. "She's going to be so surprised!"

Yugi heard someone clear their throat, and looked over his shoulder at Joey. His hands were clenched and his face a bit red. _"The 'big brother syndrome'. Always protect the younger and cuter from any danger,"_Yugi thought, and he smiled when he noticed Tristan had about the same expression on his face. The girl was simply too adorable and happy to ignore. He had to admit that he also wanted to protect the girl in some way. In the back of his mind, he wondered whose little sister she was. That person was lucky.

Tea laughed. "I'm sure she will," she said smiling at the girl, who then smiled even more, and then turned his attention to the book she had written in, or so he thought she had. It was still open and he expected to see some kind of writing, but instead he saw a rough pencil sketch of the school.

"What is that, little girl?" He asked politely. She looked up at him, a slightly offended look in her eyes.

"First of all, I'm not little! I'm just challenged in terms of height," she answered, her tone stubborn. Then she took a deep breath and said: "Secondly, this is my sketch book".

She held up the book in front of them, revealing lots of drawings of all kinds: people, buildings, plants, animals etc. All of them were well drawn with many details. They were amazing. What made them even more special, were that he could almost sense all the feelings this little girl had put in each little line. She smiled at their blank expressions.

"I will be a famous artist when I grow up!" She said, confidence coloring every word and her eyes shining. Yugi couldn't help but smile at her determination. He certainly hadn't known what he was going to do with his life at that age.

Tea squeaked out a happy sound, at the girl's declaration. "You're just too cute; I want a little sister like you! What's your name?" Tea said, ruffling the girl's hair.

The girl flushed a little, but then she face palmed and laughed. Then she said: "Stupid me, I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is…"

She didn't get to continue because a low and happy voice, yet demanding attention, interrupted them from behind them. "Hanabi*!" It called.

The girl's face lit completely up and she ran at the person, almost singing: "Una-nee-chan!"

Yugi quickly turned around, to see if he'd really heard what he thought the little girl had said. And sure enough he saw her embrace Una, almost making them both fall to the ground. He heard a surprised gasp from Tea and a whispered conversation between Joey and Tristan.

"No way, that's not real. No one's ever heard about a second Yamagawa daughter," Joey said.

"Oh yeah, so we just talked to an illusion, which Una is hugging? Open your eyes, dude, this is totally real. The question is: why?" Tristan answered, sounding irritated and confused.

Yugi couldn't quite understand it either. Nobody had ever heard about Hoshi Yamagawa having a second daughter, nobody! Why would they want to keep that a secret? They all continued their thoughts, until they were all four interrupted in their thoughts, by the sound of laughter.

"Get off of me Hana*-chan, it tickles!" Una laughed, as Hanabi apparently buried her face in her sister's shoulder, ignoring her sister.

"If that's the case, then I'll never let go!" Hanabi exclaimed, locking her arms around her sister's arm and squeezed it. Una laughed again, but tried to pull her arm back.

"You sure are a strong little monkey. Now, could you please let go? It hurts a bit," she said. Hanabi then let go immediately and looked a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry, don't know my own strength," she said, looking at her feet. Una smiled and patted her head, silently saying it was all right. Then she noticed the others.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I hadn't seen you there," Una said, and this time it was her turn to look embarrassed. Yugi smiled at her.

"That's fine. We've kept an eye on your _sister_ for you," he said, putting a light pressure on the word sister. Both Yamagawa sisters then looked embarrassed, until Hanabi smiled.

"You're wondering why Domino City doesn't know there's _two_ Yamagawa daughters, am I right?" Hanabi asked, tilting her head a little.

"Actually we were wondering why the _world_ apparently doesn't know it, but it's about right," Joey said, sounding a bit suspicious. Una shook her head lightly and chuckled.

"That's because our parents thought Hana here wasn't old enough to meet the world press when she was born, so they decided to wait until she turns 14. Which she does next Saturday," Una said gently, patting Hanabi on the head, making her utter a little "hmpf" in reply.

"I can speak for myself, you know," she muttered, but then bowed at them with a gentle smile. "Yeah, so my name is Hanabi Yamagawa, and as this irresponsible blonde just told you, I'm 13 soon to be 14," she said, a playful grin moving on to her face. "And since Una has already said, I guess you can figure out my nickname is Hana," she said, her face mirroring the joy in her voice.

Una laughed again. "Irresponsible? Me? What gave you that idea?" She said faking she was hurt by her sister's words. Hana on the other hand looked a bit angry, but also worried, at this statement.

"You forgot your bag at home this morning!" Hana said sternly, pulling off the little black bag, and held it out towards her sister. "I've been worried for Una-nee-chan all day." Her voice changed. It became softer, more anxious, along with her face.

Una's eyes shone with some unknown emotion at the mention of the bag. Yugi had never seen it before; it was as if she felt some kind of hate towards the bag, or whatever it held behind the shining leather.

"I don't need that bag, Hanabi," she said, her tone telling the younger one not to object. However, Hana did anyways.

"**Men lægen sagde…"** (But the doctor said…). Hana tried to complain in some foreign language, but got stopped by Una lightly flicking Hana's nose tip.

"**Ingen protester, Hana. Jeg er ikke så svag, som de tror jeg er,"**(No objections, Hana. I'm not as weak as they think I am), Una said gently, and patted Hana's head. When Hana didn't say anything, she smiled and said: "I need to go fetch my bag. You think you can stay here for five minutes more?" They only reply she got was a silent nod. Then she smiled and walked back to the school.

"You are my sister's friends?" Hana asked when Una was inside once more. Her tone was serious. Yugi looked down at her, but her back was turned against them, her eyes on the school.

"Well, we just met her today, but I know I consider her a friend. Or close to being one," Yugi answered, not sure what she meant by the question. Around him, Tea, Tristan and Joey nodded. "Why do you ask?"

Hana didn't answer him. Instead she asked: "Did she, by chance, faint today?" He tone was still serious.

"_Faint? Why should Una faint? Something's not right,"_Yugi thought. "Well, she did become dizzy during gym today. Why?" He said, curious about the little girl's strange questions.

She clenched her hands and muttered something under her breath. "Knew it… told her to… never listens… stubborn…" was all he could hear. Then she turned around and said with a very serious expression: "If she does faint at some point, then call this number immediately". She opened the bag and pulled out a piece of cardboard with a phone number written on it. "Then tell them Una Yamagawa has fainted". She looked at them with praying eyes.

Yugi looked at confused at the little girl and asked for the third time: "Why?"

Hana just shook her head. "I'm sorry, though I want to, I promised Una-nee-chan not to tell anyone, and she's too embarrassed to tell people about her condition. Just call the number when she faints, then you'll understand. Please don't tell her I told you this, I just really want to help her," she said, sadness filling her eyes.

Yugi didn't know what to do. The little girl was clearly upset by this promise to her sister, and he couldn't do a thing about it. Also it frustrated him to find out that Una indeed had some illness, but she wouldn't tell anyone about it.

He was saved by Tea then, as she bent to Hana's level and said: "Of course we promise. Your sister is so nice and sweet, why wouldn't we want to help her?" Hana's eyes lit up, and she smiled again.

"Thank you," she said, and she gave Tea the phone number. Then Una exited the school and took Hana's hand.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on my little firework; I hope she hasn't been too much trouble," Una said smiling. Yugi shook his head. The little girl hadn't been any trouble at all. Una smiled even bigger.

"See you tomorrow, then. Come on, shortie. Let's go home," she said, and walked away with Hana, who waved them a goodbye.

Yugi looked at the sisters walking, feeling warm inside. Una obviously adored Hana, and from the looks on Hana's face, the feeling was mutual. They were lucky to have each other to care about.

"Now after all that is over, could we get something to eat now? I'm starving!" Joey proclaimed. They all laughed at this. Trust Joey to be thinking about his stomach after such moving moments, and shocking discoveries.

"Yeah, I think we all need to take our minds off what we've just discovered for a while," Yugi agreed.

As they were about to walk away, they suddenly heard a tired groan and turned around. They were met with a horrible sight.

Emi Koroki came walking out of the shadows, bruised all over and her hair and clothes in a mess. She breathed heavily and walked with a limp. When she looked at them, her eyes turned big.

"Wha, what are you doing? Stop laughing at me!" She said and took a step away from them.

Yugi frowned. They hadn't done anything to her. "Emi, are you okay?" He asked. Emi stepped further back.

"Get away from me, I haven't done anything! No, I didn't mean to. Stop laughing, why are you all laughing!" She began to panic and her voice rose.

"Emi, calm down, we're not laughing at you. What happened?" Yugi asked and took a step towards her.

Her eyes became even bigger and started hyperventilating. "You think you're better than me? Ha! You're all scum, not worthy to walk on the same earth as me! I'm better than all of you!" She yelled.

This sparked something in Tea. "Well, it's nice finally hearing what you _really _think Emi. Maybe this will help you wake up!" she sneered at the girl.

Yugi held a hand towards Tea. "Don't. I think she's sick," he whispered, not wanting to upset Emi even more. Something was wrong with her, very wrong.

Emi looked at Tea and smiled. "Yes, wake up. This is all a nightmare. My whole presence is a nightmare! That's what the strings told me, and that nice woman with the pendulum. I'm pathetic; therefore, I must tread on everyone in my way!" She sang. Then her face went blank and she fell to the ground. Yugi and co. immediately ran to her side.

"Emi, look at me. Breathe, Emi, it's going to be okay," Yugi said as he rolled her over, so she was lying on her side. She looked at him with half unseeing eyes.

"Now tell me, who did this to you?" He asked, as he tried to keep her conscious. Emi smiled cynically.

"Why, I did of course. Almost all of my strings were black, oh what a shame. Then the woman showed me my deeds, and I discovered the horribleness of my life," she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Yugi almost yelled and shook Emi. "What woman, what strings?"

"The bearer of the crystal pendulum, and the strings of fortune. Remember," Emi whispered before she closed her eyes.

"I've called an ambulance," Tristan yelled. Yugi nodded and frowned.

"_What is going on? What is the crystal pendulum?"_ Yugi thought, as he felt for Emi's pulse.

Somewhere his thought was caught by an existence hidden in shadow. It smirked.

"_Many things are going on. Things bigger than you'll ever be able to imagine,"_it thought, before it disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>*Hanabi: fireworks.<strong>

***Hana: flower.**

**Onee-chan: another way of saying "big sister" though with "chan" added, it's less polite, and more nickname-ish.**

**Chan: often used with smaller children or someone cute.**

**Hana's school uniform:**_**K-on's Sakuragaoka Girl's High School uniform**_

**How to pronounce the Danish letter: æ/Æ seen in this chapter:**

You know how Canadians is known for saying "eh" a lot? That's about the same sound as æ.

* * *

><p><strong>Nordic Twin:<strong>That's it for a while. How did you like your introduction in the story, Hana-chan?

**Hana: **I'll ask you again... am I just some doll created in your twisted mind?

**Nordic Twin: **To say the truth, partly. You have many of the traits I have, reinforced, or whish to have. (This is actually true!) Una have too.

**Hana: **So I'm partly real?

**Nordic Twin: **Well, to me you're real, and that's what counts.

**Hana: **... I think you're insane...

**Nordic Twin: **Possibly, but I don't care! Now go draw something!

**Hana: **Why, that's a wonderful idea! (Runs towards a pile of painting articles, giggling like a maniac.)

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**I can't believe I made a dialouge like this... twice. Again, I feel like such a loser, but I couldn't control my self! (I'm not saying that people, who make these sort of dialouges, are losers. I love them! But I still feel a bit forever alone, for making one of them...).

I'm gonna miss my story so much, while I'm in Germany, and I'm gonna miss all those wonderful stories on FF!

* * *

><p>Bye, see you next chapter!<p>

-Nordic Twin.


	7. Hospital

_**A/N:**_(Nordic Twin arrives while pulling a big suitcase.).

I'm back from Germany! Anyone missed me? (Waits a bit, then laughs.) Of course you did, I can tell by all the nice reviews! (Cries with joy.) I can't tell you all how much the words "update soon" means to me :D (Cries even more.)

It was really hard for me, to be away from my laptop, but now I'm back. I came back wedensday evening, and wrote like crazy yesterday and today, but now chapter 7 is ready! And guess what? I've already started working on chapter 8!

Germany was lots of fun if you want to know. I'm still a bit high on the experience. Oh, and please follow this link: .com/watch?v=hM4zfAYPBFw&feature=channel&list=UL if you want to hear my schools choir sing! Take good notice of the third girl from the right in the front row. (The one on the floor.)

I have to say, that girl is fantastic! Though she's just a centimeter taller than Hanabi, she's gotten an amazing loud voice, and talent in writing! :D Can you figure out who she might be?

Well, time for the disclaimer: I own nothing but plot and OC's.

Enjoy the chapter!

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><p><em><strong>Hospital<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey all sat in a waiting room at the hospital, not saying a word.

After Tristan had called the ambulance, Emi fallen unconscious and was impossible to wake. Though her pulse and breathing were steady and there was a good chance she would survive, they were still worried about her. So now they all just sat there, silently waiting, with each second feeling like an eternity.

Yugi looked at the other three. Tea sat rigid in her chair and looked into the air, not seeing anything.

Tristan sat with his eyes closed and his head against the wall behind him. He looked like he was asleep, but about every five minutes he would open his eyes and look at the clock on the wall.

Joey, on the other hand, was constantly fidgeting. One moment he rubbed his hands, the next he crossed his legs, and the next he did something else. Though he didn't like Emi, he'd brainstormed about the things that could've put her in such a state. The theories went from rape to assault. He was nerve-wracking to listen to.

And Yugi himself sat still in his chair, deep in thought. While the others had thought she had been delirious, he paid more attention to her words.

"_What did she mean when she said she did this to herself? And what are 'The Strings of Fortune'? And what was that about a crystal pendulum?"_Yugi thought.

He reached up and rubbed his forehead. While he was thinking, a headache had slowly snuck up on him. It didn't bother him much, but it was just enough to make all his thinking a plague, and it slowed his thoughts. He sighed.

"What's wrong, Yugi?" Tea asked in a worried tone. She had finally pulled herself together a bit. He smiled at her and made a calming gesture with his hands.

"Nothing, I'm just getting a small headache from thinking too much. It's nothing to worry about," he explained. But Tea still frowned.

"Are you thinking about what Emi said?" she asked, and as Yugi nodded she continued, "But that made no sense. Plus, she lost consciousness seconds after. She could've just been delirious, and you know that." Again, Yugi nodded.

"I just can't help it. It's like… like there's something completely wrong! Why did she say she did it to herself? I mean, how could she have done something like that to herself? It makes no sense! And then there was something about some strings," he said, nearly pulling his hair out. "Ah! I can't figure it out!" He groaned a bit and leaned back in the chair with another sigh. He felt so confused.

Tea gave him a calming smile. "Well, I'm sure you're going to figure it all out eventually. Or maybe Emi will tell us what she meant, when she wakes…" she didn't get to finish her sentence, because at that moment, the doctor entered with a serious expression on his face.

"Are you the friends of Miss Koroki?" He asked. Yugi looked around at his friends. They all looked like they'd eaten something bitter.

"Well, we're her classmates," Yugi finally said. The doctor nodded silently.

"Could you please follow me to my office?" He asked. Again Yugi and co. nodded. The doctor led the way to a bright room with a desk and a few chairs. As he sat down behind the desk, he opened a case note. "Please sit down," he said, as he noticed they were still standing up. "This might take some time".

Yugi looked at his friends with a worried expression, mirrored by them. What could've happened to Emi? When they were all seated, the doctor sighed and closed the case note.

"Emi Koroki has gone into a coma," he said calmly, but not very loud.

Yugi and co. all gasped, shocked by the news. From the corner of his eye, Yugi could see Tea had tears in her eyes, but she fought to keep them down. Feeling rather helpless, he just asked, "How?"

The doctor sighed and rubbed his left eye. "That's the problem. We don't know. Her body functions normally. There's nothing wrong with her heart, lungs, or other organs, though her brain activity is very strange. If she wasn't bruised and didn't have a sprained ankle, we would say she was simply… sleeping," he said, leaning back in his chair.

Yugi looked at the doctor, completely stunned and confused. There was silence for a few moments, until Joey said: "Sleeping? What do you mean by sleeping?"

The doctor looked at him. "I mean, her body literally is in the state of sleep. She's dreaming, to be precise," he said, once more opening the case note. Without them even having to ask, he started reading what was written in the note. But since it was mostly scientific terms, they didn't understand much of it. When the doctor was finished reading, he laughed lightly at their confusion, before he turned serious again.

"As I said, she's sleeping. Though, for some reason she's in a dream state, but she's also sleeping too deeply to wake up when we try to do so. Plus there are other… complications in this. Things we can't quite find the cause of," he said, a frown finding its way to the doctor's forehead.

Yugi looked at the man. "What complications?" He asked. The doctor turned his attention to him.

"We don't know if it's complications… yet. It's very strange, but Miss Koroki seems to be covered in some kind of…" the doctor trailed off, seeming to be confused himself. After a few moments he finally said something.

"What I'm about to say doesn't make any sense, but Miss Koroki seems to be covered in some kind of pulverized crystal," he said.

Yugi looked at him. What was the man saying? "Pulverized crystal?" Yugi repeated. The doctor nodded.

"As I said, it's very strange, but Miss Koroki seems to be covered in the dust of some sort of crystal, and we can't get it off her. Moreover, the dust is visible to the eye, but we can't feel it if we touch her. It is like the dust is a part of her," the doctor said and sighed.

Joey laughed. "A part of her, that's funny. It's impossible," he said, earning a stern look from the doctor.

"Then follow me and go see for yourselves! What I'm telling you is the truth," the doctor said, obviously insulted by Joey laugh.

They all stood and followed the doctor to a one-bed ward. In the bed Emi was lying peacefully, a calm expression on her face. She was attached to monitors that measured her blood pressure, heartbeat and what seemed to be her brain activity. When they got closer to her, they could suddenly see that Emi indeed was covered in something that looked like dust. Tea reached out and brushed some hair from Emi's fore head. When she removed her hand, none of the dust was on her fingers.

"What is it, doctor?" Tea asked, and the man sighed.

"As I've said, we don't know. And since we can't get any samples of it, the answer remains a mystery," he said before he left to give them some peace.

Yugi frowned, for some reason feeling like he knew the answer. _"What could this be? Why is this so _familiar_?" _He thought, and reached out to touch Emi's arm. At the contact, he stiffened and his vision changed.

"_It's called The Dust of Dreams," the golden haired girl explained, as she showed him a little silk pouch filled with some kind of white dust._

_He looked at it, feeling a bit unimpressed. She'd told him she'd show him something amazing, and this was what he got? "What's so special about crystal dust?" He asked. The girl smiled at him, at bit of a grim look in her eyes._

"_If you get this dust on you, it immediately starts covering your whole body and puts you to sleep. Depending on the spell bound to the dust, and the amount, it can show you visions of distant times or places, give you unknown powers, or change your mind room completely," she said before she closed the pouch and hid it in a big chest with a lock._

"_You mean just like the Millennium Items?" He asked. The girl nodded, but then shook her head. He sighed. "I should've known there's a prominent difference. There always are around you. So what's the difference?" He asked. Her features became grimmer._

"_The difference with this is that when you wake up, the changes are _permanent._ You'll always get visions, you'll always have the powers, and your mind room can _never_ be changed back to the state before the dust. It's impossible to undo," she said._

_He looked at her, suddenly understanding why people were a bit afraid of her. But surely, she wasn't dangerous. She just had a lot of power._

"_I understand. It's dangerous in the wrong hands. It's good to know your hands are the right ones," he said, smiling at her._

_She turned her face towards him and met his eyes. Or so he thought, as her bangs were hanging in front of her eyes. He was impressed she could even see through it. All he was able to see was a faint golden glow. She smiled teasingly._

"_How do you know that? I might use it on you, to help you get rid of your bad abilities in gift giving," she said, trying to keep her voice serious, but failed. He chuckled a bit._

"_What do you mean, my darling rose? I give you plenty of gifts," he said, but made a mental note of having a bit more presents sent to her. __It didn't hurt to be on the safe side._

_She didn't laugh with him, and the teasing tone disappeared._

"_That's the problem; you give me too _many_ gifts. People will start to notice, and I'm not worthy of all the fine fabrics and jewelries you give me, nor your love," she said, seriousness making her voice heavy._

_He frowned. Of course she was worthy of all he gave her, and much more. True, she wasn't rich, but she was a very good sorceress._

_And he loved her._

_Without a word he pulled her into his arms, trying to emit love and comfort. She sighed._

"_You don't know who you love, my Lord. You don't know the dangers about me at all," she whispered. He didn't answer._

Yugi blinked, as a hand was waved in front of him. "Yugi, pull yourself together. Come on, wake up. We don't need you to go into a coma, too," Tristan said.

Yugi smiled at his friends. They were all looking at him, as if he too was going to be ill. "It's nothing," he said. _"Nothing but a strange vision of the girl I've seen in my dreams throughout the last month,"_ he added in his thoughts.

"I don't believe you, Yugi. You've been zoning off like that for a while now, man. What's wrong?" Joey asked. Yugi sighed. Of course they'd discovered his "lack of presence" lately, but he hadn't expected them to be worried. When Yami, or Atem, had been with him, he'd fallen silent a lot more. At that time, he could blame it on talking with the spirit through the mind link.

To tell the truth, a little part of him told him that something was dead wrong. First the dreams, then Emi got attacked, and now he was seeing things! He was sure it all had some connection. What could he tell his friends without making them worried?

"It's nothing serious, I think. But I believe we might have…"

"Mommy."

Yugi was interrupted by the low murmur and forgot all about what he was going to say as he looked at Emi. She had shifted her position and her face was in a deep frown. She was lying on her side with clenched hands and shook a bit.

"Mommy, come back. Please don't leave me. I'll be a good girl, I promise. Don't go to the land of eternal slumber. No, please, Mommy! Don't close your eyes! Don't leave me all alone! MOMMY!" Emi cried out, starting to twist and turn in the bed. The monitors started beeping loudly, and the doctor ran in, followed by some nurses.

"I think it is best you leave now," he said to Yugi and co. before he turned to Emi. And that they did.

Out in the hallway the friends decided to split up for the day, as they felt they couldn't do anything more. Tristan and Joey went to get something to eat, Yugi decided to go home, and Tea wanted to stay a bit longer at the hospital.

"So she isn't all alone, until her family arrives," she explained, when the boys asked her why. And when they asked how she planned to get home, she said, "Oh, I'll get a ride. No need to worry."

Then Yugi left the hospital and walked home. With no one to interrupt him, he was free to think everything through. It had been a long day. In his head, he went through some of the highlights.

"_We got a new, famous student with a strange personality and illness in class today. From the same girl, I felt a sudden power come through me. I somehow feel like I know her, plus she looks a bit like…" _Yugi stopped both his walking and thinking, as he realized something.

"_Una looks very much like the girl from my dreams! Could she be connected to all of this? No, it can't be. Una is just an ordinary girl. But what if…ah, my head!" _He thought, as a new blast of pain shot through his head.

"Enough thinking for now. I need to get rid of this headache first!" he said to himself, and finally arrived at his home.

_**Somewhere at the same time:**_

"_That was close. That boy is far too curious for my taste," _she thought, as she finally could let go of Yugi's mind. She'd kept an eye on him for the most of the day, but finally she could relax, as he decided to get some rest.

"_Why don't you leave him alone? He hasn't done anything," _the other voice in her head said. It sounded a bit angry.

"_I can't, we'll be discovered! You might think it is wrong what I do, but it's for the best," _she responded.

"_You mean sending Emi Koroki in a coma, and interfering with the poor boy's mind is for the best? What good will it do?" _The other voice raged.

She sighed. _"You mean you wanted Emi to continue the way she was? Admit it, you're happy she's going to change," _she said, trying to reason with the other voice. When it didn't respond, she added: _"Look, Emi's going to become a much nicer person now, and she won't even think it's wrong. She'll like the new her, trust me. As for the boy, I won't do anything to him, yet. I'm just keeping an eye on him for a while"._

The other voice responded then. _"Just promise me, you'll be careful. And no more mind scans, got it? I think he's nice. He won't do anything wrong," _it said.

She smiled a bit stiffly. _"I promise I'll try to be careful, but there's something strangely familiar about him, something in his aura. I'm not sure I like it," _she said.

The other voice huffed. _"Well, then, it sucks to be you. I refuse to be scared by your ridiculous fears. Yugi Mutou is _not_ a danger. That's the last to be said in this case," _it said.

Sensing the feeling of that being the last word, she didn't answer, but slid away in the shadows.

_**Meanwhile at the hospital, in another section:**_

_**Random nurse:**_

"Can I help you with anything, Miss?" She asked the girl who'd just arrived.

"Yes. I have an appointment for an acute treatment," she answered, and held out a little information card. The nurse's eyes lit up.

"Of course. Your mother called us a few moments ago. Welcome, Miss Yamagawa," she said.

Una Yamagawa looked at her with a tired smile. Next to her, a little black-haired girl squeezed the older ones hands.

"Thanks," she said, and followed the nurse into a ward.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_Before I start rambling about trivial things:

**A _HUGE special thanks to:_**

_**HeartXBones, xxxPureRosexxx, Aqua girl 007,** _and of course **_Scaevola2:_**I here by give you each a big triple chocolate cookie, as promised, because you helped this unknowing author. I'm forever grateful to all of you.

Also, thank you so much for reviewing _**HeartXBones, xxxPureRosexxx** _and **_Scaevola2._** You make me so happy with your nice words! A big boost to my happiness meter! :D

And I won't forget you _**Aqua girl 007.** _You gave me a _very_ good idea! Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! :D

* * *

><p>Well, that's about it for this chapter. I wanted it to be a bit dark, by adding the feeling of "not-knowing-if-something's-seriously-wrong". I know that feeling, so I tried to add a bit of it.<p>

Also I somehow managed to add a little bit of mysterious fluff. Hope you like it :D

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><p>See you next chapter.<p>

-Nordic Twin.


	8. Evenings: part one

_**A/N:**_ Nordic Twin presents: chapter 8 part one, of Long Lost Love! Hooray!

Yes, I know what you're thinking. Part one, what is she thinking? And the answer to that is: randomness! But this is randomness with a purpose. This chapter focus on a simple evening/late afternoon with the Kaiba brothers. A little peak into their current life. The following two chapters will focus on the Yamagawa sisters, and Yugi and his grandfather. And as I've said, this may seem very random, but believe me. Some of the things in this, are going to be very important!

Skip to the real life, did anyone of you look at the video with my choir? And if you did, did you guess who the girl on the front row is? Ah, screw that, I'll tell you now! That girl is none other than yours truly, Nordic Twin! :D

Well, enough from me, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Evenings: Seto and Mokuba.<strong>_

_**In a closed chat room:**_

**PaintingGamer:**_Hey, MKvceo. Long time, no writing. Sorry 'bout that. Got great news._

**MKvceo:**_That's okay. Did something happen?_

**PaintingGamer:**_You bet it did! I've moved to another country this week!_

**MKvceo:**_You did? Bad thing or good thing?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Depends on how you look at it. So far, I think it's good._

**MKvceo:**_Then congrats! What country?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Japan. My father was born here, and my grandparents live here. It's nice to get to know them a bit better._

**MKvceo:**_Really? That's wonderful, I'm happy for you._

**PaintingGamer:**_Well, stuff's pretty strange here. They have such weird customs._

**MKvceo:**_Like what?_

**PaintingGamer:**_You want an example? Then why school uniforms?_

**MKvceo:**_LOL. Why not school uniforms?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Dude, it's strange! And they don't wear school uniforms where I come from._

**MKvceo:**_Then where are you from? You never told me._

**PaintingGamer:**_Neither did you._

**MKvceo:**_Well… you're right. But you never said you wanted to know._

**PantingGamer:**_Again, neither did you! But now you know I live in Japan._

**MKvceo:**_I do, too._

**PaintingGamer:**_No way!_

**MKvceo:**_Way!_

**PaintingGamer:**_Dude, that's awesome!_

**MKvceo:**_You bet it is! Should we celebrate?_

**PaintingGamer:**_How?_

**MKvceo:**_Well, I thought… maybe we should… meet? You know, face to face._

**PaintingGamer:**_I don't think that's a good idea right now._

**MKvceo:**_Why? I mean, I really want to meet you in person. Come on, wouldn't it be fun?_

**PaintingGamer:**_It's not that I don't want to meet you. It's just… difficult right now. I just moved, dude. I'm not sure I've got the energy reserve to meet you yet. (Light bulb moment.) Oh, I know! We should paint our fav. spot in our towns, and then share online! Then you'll see a bit of how I live, and I'll see a bit how you live. How 'bout that?_

**MKvceo:**_You've got energy to paint, but not to meet me?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Don't go there, man. I haven't painted all week, and I need to clear my head. C'mon, be fair. Maybe some other time?_

**MKvceo:**_Do you promise we'll meet someday?_

**PaintingGamer:**_I hereby give you an artist's promise. If I break it, I'll never paint again._

**MKvceo:**_Don't do that! I love your pictures!_

**PaintingGamer:**_Thanks, dude! Btw, did you check out the poem I sent you?_

**MKvceo:**_You kidding? Of course I did, it's awesome!_

**PaintingGamer:**_It is?_

**MKvceo:**_Totally, I love how you describe… hey, gotta go now. Big brother's calling me._

**PaintingGamer:**_'Kay. See ya._

_**Kaiba:**_

It was around 17:30 when Seto finally arrived at his mansion. He'd gone straight to work after school, and he'd worked until Tea had called him to get a ride home from the hospital. Suspecting something bad had happened to her, he'd left within five minutes to get her. He was still a bit high on the relief when he'd discovered she was okay. And though he felt a bit insulted by her thinking this was an emergency, he didn't like her having to go home all alone. The streets weren't safe, and he didn't want her to get harmed.

He looked around. Normally, Mokuba would come rushing out to greet him, but there was no trace of his black haired younger brother. "Where's Mokuba?" He asked his the butler, who stood by the door.

"The last time the guards checked, young master Mokuba was safe in his room, doing his homework, sir," the older man said.

Seto frowned, then headed straight towards his younger brothers room. When he found it empty, he became worried. What had happened to him _now_?

"Mokuba?" He called out, looking around. The boy was still small and, somehow, had the ability to hide everywhere. When he didn't get an answer, he began calling out louder. "Mokuba, where are you?" He then heard a faint knock from the ceiling.

"I'm up here, Seto!" Mokuba answered, though the reply was muffled by the distance and obstacles. Sighing with relief, Seto found the hidden staircase, and walked into what Mokuba had dubbed his sanctuary.

Seto looked around in almost awe. Even after having seen this place for months, it still never ceased to amaze him. The big room had once been an unknown part of the mansion. Not even Seto knew it existed back then. It was Mokuba who'd found it.

Almost a year ago, Mokuba had started to disappear completely for several hours, but return afterwards, acting as if nothing was wrong. At first, Seto had ignored it. By all means, the boy was allowed to have some secrets. It was only natural at that age. Besides, he thought it would only last for a little while.

But after a few weeks where Mokuba would still disappear and return, but these times covered in dust and cobwebs, he began to feel a little hint of curiosity. Where on earth did he go when he disappeared? He had indirectly tried to make Mokuba tell him, by asking how he got that covered in dust when the whole mansion got cleaned by maids every day.

"I'm just going through some old boxes I found in my room," Mokuba had answered him, looking like he was completely innocent. If Seto hadn't known it was a lie, he would've believed him. He knew Mokuba didn't have anything hidden in boxes. He liked to preserve papers in portfolios, which he had standing on his shelves, along with other items. But never boxes. Again, he decided to let it go for a while. Whatever Mokuba was doing, it seemed to be important for him.

But when yet another few weeks had passed, Seto had finally had enough. "Mokuba, where is it you're going these days?" He asked. Mokuba looked down, silently studying his hands. Then he looked up at him.

"Can't tell you," Mokuba said, a gentle smile on his face.

Seto tried to keep his temper down. This was going to be difficult to get out of Mokuba. "And why is it you can't tell me?" He demanded. Mokuba still smiled at him.

"It's a secret project I'm working on, big brother, and it's not finished yet," came the light answer from the younger one.

The answer made Seto calmer, but also made him more curious. What project could his little brother be working on? And where did he get that dusty? Additionally, where had he found a place that dusty?

"Could you at least tell me how you get that dirty every time you disappear?" He asked, hoping to get at least a little clue to where his brother went.

But Mokuba only rolled his eyes a bit and said: "I don't leave the mansion. It's safe and I bring my cell phone with me every time. That's all you get until it's finished. _If_I finish it. It's a bit more ambitious than I thought it would be." And with that, he left Seto to wonder.

It wasn't until a week after his "interrogation" that Seto discovered Mokuba's secret project. He'd come home from work a bit earlier and decided to see if he'd disappeared again. If he was, he was determined to search the whole mansion to find him. Not surprisingly, he found Mokuba's room empty when the guards told him he was in there. Huffing a bit, he began looking around the room. He knew the boy was in there someplace. The guards would've noticed if he'd left. So he searched around until the irritation overtook him, and he punched a panel in the wall.

He had almost had a heart attack when the panel moved inwards and revealed a steep, dark staircase.

Confused, he'd taken a few steps up, and a dry smell had hit him in the face. Under any other circumstances he would've walked away, but at that time he'd taken a few more steps upwards, believing he'd found Mokuba's hiding place. And sure enough, he could hear the faint sound his brother made. It sounded like he was moving something. He didn't know why Mokuba went up there; he didn't even know how he'd found it. Actually, he wasn't sure what to expect.

But it _definitely_wasn't what he saw.

It was a huge room, stretching over what Seto thought to be at least the size of their dining room, filled with all sorts of things. Tables, chairs, pictures, even what looked like musical instruments. And those were only the things he could see, since a lot of things were covered in white sheets. And in the middle of it all, standing on a chair while trying to pull a sheet away from something, was a dust covered Mokuba. Next to the chair lay a huge pile of sheets and a few blue cloths.

He carefully took the final steps up, not wanting Mokuba to hear him, but alas, the final step squeaked under his foot. Mokuba quickly looked towards the sound. His expression was shocked at the sight of Seto. Furthermore, the surprise made him fall down from the chair, and he landed in the pile of sheets with a small yelp.

Immediately Seto was at his younger brother's side, only to find him laughing. "So you finally discovered this place," he managed to say, gasping for air. Seto nodded.

"What is this place, Mokuba?" he asked, as Mokuba tried to shake some of the dust from his hair.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure Gozaburo didn't know it existed. If he did, he would've sold all of these things, and turned it into some kind of office or something," Mokuba answered before he climbed onto the chair once more, and pulled at the sheet successfully. "Finally! That's the fifth time I tried this," he mumbled, and looked at the now revealed bookshelf.

Mokuba smiled. "I could keep paintbrushes or other materials on this. Yes, that's a good idea," he said in a low voice. Seto looked at him.

"Paintbrushes?" he asked. Mokuba nodded.

"I was hoping to turn it into an art studio. You don't mind, do you Seto?" He said, looking up at him expectantly.

He looked at him, feeling confused. What was Mokuba talking about? "An art studio? Since when did you get interested in art?" he asked.

Mokuba looked down at his feet. "Well, I've always liked it. I think it's fun and relaxing, but I've never taken it seriously. Just as something to do, when I've had nothing to do. That's until I discovered * and met PaintingGamer," he explained.

Now he was even more confused. What was Mokuba talking about? "Why don't you tell me everything from the beginning?" He asked, wanting to get some answers to his little brother's strange behavior.

Mokuba took a deep breath and nodded. "But only if you'll help me get some of these things away. I've been trying to clean this place since I found it, but I'm not getting anywhere," he said. And what right had Seto to deny this simple request? Besides, it was the easiest way to make Mokuba tell him.

So as he help Mokuba remove sheets and carry them to a corner of the room, Mokuba told him how he'd attended art class in school, and practiced by borrowing books in the library. He told about how he'd discovered a website filled with art of other people, and had found an amazing artist by the username of PaintingGamer. he told about the encouragement he got from this person, and how he'd uploaded pictures he'd made on his computer. Then he told about how they had gone from polite comments, to suggesting pictures, to writing e-mails, to creating a closed chat room.

"Mind you, I don't know if PaintingGamer is a boy or girl. I don't even know where he/she lives, and we never exchange any personal information. As far as I know, it could be a boy from China or a girl from Alaska. Guess I'll never know. But we still write and support each other," Mokuba explained to him. He felt relieved. He was worried this person knew Mokuba was a Kaiba, but from what he was told, they knew almost nothing about each other.

Mokuba then moved on to how he'd found the hidden room by accident, and decided to turn it into an art studio. The only problem was that he didn't know what to tell Seto. And when he asked why Mokuba hadn't told him, the boy looked at his hands and said, "I thought you might think it was a stupid interest, and say no."

Seto looked at him with a gentle smile. He patted the boy's head. "That would never happen, Mokuba. Of course you can use this place as a studio." Mokuba then smiled at him with bright eyes and hugged him, saying "thank you" over and over again.

A few months and much work later, Mokuba could finally claim the place as his studio. By that time it looked clean and neat.

Seto looked around and took everything in as it was now. It was nothing like before. The walls were covered in canvasses, as were some parts of the floor. Several easels contained partly done paintings, collages or simple drawings. On a special table by the right wall, small clay or wood models of statues stood. The floor was dotted with dried paint where Mokuba occasionally had dropped or spilled something. And in the middle of the room, Mokuba sat on the floor, with his laptop in front of him. But he didn't look at the screen. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the roof above him. Seto had come to know it as his brother's thinking pose.

"What's wrong, Mokuba?" He asked, as he approached the thinking boy.

Mokuba didn't look at him. Instead he said, "PaintingGamer has moved to Japan".

Seto looked at him. This information seemed to trouble the boy, but he didn't know why, until Mokuba said, "I asked him/her if we should meet, now we live in the same country, but he/she said no. Not until he/she is settled down."

Seto frowned. "And this troubles you because?" He asked, not knowing where Mokuba went with it.

Mokuba sighed. "It troubles me because I really want to meet this person, who hides behind the name PaintingGamer. What is he/she like in person? How does he/she look? How old is he/she? Is PaintingGamer a boy, or a girl?" He said, mostly to himself. He looked over his shoulder at Seto. "I know he/she loves Duel Monsters and art. I know the person has a talent for writing; I know he/she want to become famous by painting, but those are only the things on the surface. Basically, I want to know the _real_ PaintingGamer. I want to know the person behind the paintbrush," he said, determination coloring his voice.

Seto sighed along with Mokuba. He knew it would come to something like this. Mokuba was curious, and wanted to know people. And now he had the chance to meet someone he had a lot in common with, but knew nothing about.

Also, he knew Mokuba wasn't sure that he would even be allowed to meet this PaintingGamer.

"You know I'm not happy about you meeting this person alone," he said. Mokuba nodded with a sad expression.

"You would need Roland to go with you and have at least three cell phones with you, do you understand?" Again Mokuba nodded, but his face looked at bit less sad.

"I don't care if you want to meet on a weekend. You'll be home by 15:00, just like a normal school day. And if you promise you'll call if something makes you be late then I…"

Mokuba tackled him and said "thank you" over and over again, just like the day he was allowed to make his art studio.

Seto smiled. As long as Mokuba was happy, his own happiness came in at last. As long as Mokuba smiled at him happily and was safe, he could live with pain. It had occurred to him as a simple fact. He patted the younger one on the head.

"Well, you know the rules. See you at dinner, Mokuba," he said, and turned towards the staircase. He knew Mokuba was going to paint all evening now. That was for sure. He would paint, eat, paint and sleep. That was what he did whenever he was in a good mood.

Mokuba just nodded and waved at him, a joyous look in his eyes, and a paintbrush already in his hand.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**Well, that was part one. I'm already writing part two, but I don't know when it's finished. But be patient, I'm writing as fast as I can :D Thankfully, I'm going to have some half-days in school, because we're starting on our written exams next week. (Nordic Twin realizes what she just said, and hides in a corner whispering: "No, I can't do it! I'm doomed! DOOMED!")

Btw, the idea of Mokuba being a painter, is not mine. Sadly. I got the idea from the one-shot "Painting Dreams" by **Scribbler**. It's fantastic, and actually helped me invent Hana.

**_Special thanks:_**As always, a huge thank you to **Scaevola2.** My wonderful beta, who is doing a good job in making me laugh at all the jokes she's sending me :D

Also, a thank you to **xxxPureRosexxx**. Yes, the mysteries! Hope you liked what I added in this chapter!

Oh, and have I ever mentioned how much it means to me when I'm added to someone's Author Alert, or Favorite Stories list? No? Well, also a huge thank you to all of you! It gives me a mental boost, that you actually like this story enough, to add it to those. Cookies to all of you!

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><p>See you all next chapter!<p>

**-Nordic Twin**


	9. Evenings: part two

_**A/N:** _Hey everybody! It's not a certain popular let's player, but it's Nordic Twin with a double update of Long Lost Love! Hooray!

There's not much to say about this chapter. It's part 2, decent length, with focus on Yugi. A few surprises, a little homey touch, and a little hint of the idea **Aqua Girl 007 **gave me. Big thanks to you!

Oh, something to say about this: I HAVE NEVER, WRITTEN A CHAPTER AS FAST AS I DID WITH THIS, THE SAME WITH PART 3! It was crazy, I couldn't stop writing! And while I wrote, I could have been social at my boarding school, or practiced on the piano. So I have a small request:

Could I please get a hug? Someone? Nordic Twin needs a hug, and if not for me, but for the piano I have been neglecting, and the friends I haven't seen.

...what am I doing? I'm not supposed to write that kind of stuff. Well, enjoy the second part.

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><p><em><strong>Evenings: Yugi<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

"I'm home, grandpa!" Yugi called as he opened the door to the Kame Game Shop. He heard a bit of shuffling with things in the storage room before his grandfather, Solomon, emerged from its depths.

"Hello, my boy. Did you learn something new today?" he asked in a pleasant tone. Yugi liked it; it almost eased some of the pain in his head.

"Nah, just regular stuff, but, still, so many things happened that my head hurts," Yugi said, and he began walking up to their house above the shop. Behind him, he heard the homey sound of the older man following him up the stairs.

"Aha. Then what happened, son? Good things or bad things?" Solomon asked as he walked into the kitchen. Yugi, who had gone to the bathroom to get some painkillers, answered, "Both!" before he swallowed two white pills. When he went into the kitchen, he found a cup of steaming hot tea, and a bowl of soup on each side of the table. Smiling, he sat down to eat an early dinner with the old man.

Solomon began eating, seemingly not caring about Yugi's experiences, but Yugi knew his grandfather was curios. He was simply being polite, waiting for Yugi to tell him about it when he wanted to. Yugi grabbed the spoon, and after a few minutes in pleasant, silent company, Yugi started to tell Solomon about his day.

He started with his discovery of a new student, and the surprise when he found out it was Una Yamagawa. Then he told about how Emi had attacked her, but had been scared away by Tea, which led to Una approaching them to thank her. He couldn't help but talk about how sweet and nice Una was. As if in a dream, he described how he'd showed her around, and she'd listened to everything. This earned him a few light chuckles from the old man, but he didn't comment it.

He then quickly moved on to Una and Kaiba's little fight, and what Kaiba had told him about her. He told about the promise he'd made the principal, and how he'd saved Una from Sobokuna. "That girl is as naïve as her name says. It's incredible," he said. Solomon just chuckled again, but he waved his hand, indicating that he wanted Yugi to move on.

He told about Una almost fainting during gym, and the discovery of a second Yamagawa daughter. At this, Solomon interrupted him. "Wait. There are two girls with the surname of Yamagawa?" he asked. Yugi nodded.

"There's Una Yamagawa, the one the world knows, and then there's Hanabi, or Hana, Yamagawa. Apparently, she's been hidden from the media to protect her. A cute little girl, and Una seems to adore her," he explained, lightly trailing off as he said Una's name. He liked the feeling of it on his tongue: simple, soft sounds, with no hard "edges." For a few seconds, he was lost in his thoughts, until Solomon cleared his voice, making Yugi look at him. The older man looked at him, as if he was amused.

"What's wrong, grandpa?" Yugi asked. Solomon just laughed.

"Nothing, my boy, absolutely nothing. You just have no idea what you're saying, and it's funny," he answered. Yugi tilted his head to the side, indicating confusion, but Solomon just asked him to continue his story.

Yugi moved on to what had happened to Emi, and how he'd stayed at the hospital with his friends, and they'd heard what the doctor had said. But when he tried to tell about his vision, the headache came crashing down on him, and he had to stop. Solomon was over him quickly.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" He asked, lightly putting his hand on the boy's fore head. Yugi shook his head.

"I think…something is blocking me from thinking and talking about certain things I've discovered. It's giving me a splitting headache," he explained, grabbing his head. Solomon frowned.

"Then stop thinking about it for now, my boy. Get some rest, maybe you'll be all cleared up tomorrow morning," he said, patting Yugi on the head. He just nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right, grandpa. I'm going to bed, right after dinner," he said, before he quickly finished his tea and soup. Then he cleaned his bowl and cup, and headed towards his room. He was halfway down the hall, when Solomon said, "Oh, I almost forgot. You got a letter today, Yugi. I put it on your desk!" Though Yugi knew the old man couldn't see it, he nodded and answered, "Okay, grandpa. Good night."

When Yugi entered his bedroom, he noticed the envelope on his desk immediately. Mostly because it was placed directly on top of his computer, but also because it was made of shining gold colored paper. With a half-fake, half-real sigh, he opened it. He knew _exactly_ who'd sent it. Hidden behind the shining paper was not a letter, but a little DVD in a clear case. He knew he probably should go to bed, but instead he decided to watch the DVD, mostly because he was curious, but also because his headache had retreated a bit again.

He opened it and put it in the DVD drive and waited patiently for it to start automatically. After a few seconds, a picture of Pegasus appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Yugi-boy," he said, smiling in a friendly way. "I hope you're doing well back in Japan. We need to duel as soon as I've returned from my trip," the picture said, showing a bit of the background. Yugi gasped a bit at the sight of the great pyramids.

"What a wonderful land Egypt is. It never ceases to amaze me how they built these majestic monuments with their own hands," Pegasus said, his eyes' gaze becoming a bit far away for a few seconds, until the man began chatting about several things.

Yugi listened to his former enemy's excited voice. He received these DVD letters from Pegasus once in a while. Lately he had taken a huge interest in Yugi's future, and he had personally come to his home to ask him a question.

**Flashback:**

"_How would you like to become my heir, Yugi?" Pegasus asked casually, but with a serious expression on his face._

_Yugi almost choked on his tea, as did his grandfather. "Become your what?" He asked, coughing a bit._

"_I want you to become my heir, and take over Industrial Illusions when I can't run it anymore," Pegasus said, his voice still casual._

_Yugi looked at him with a blank expression for a while. Then he burst out laughing. "That's very funny, Pegasus. Me as your heir? Really, Pegasus, that is the joke of the year," he said in between laughs._

_Pegasus looked slightly offended. "I'm not joking, Yugi-boy," Pegasus said, his voice now matching his face. "I want you to run Industrial Illusions when I'm not capable to anymore."_

_Yugi looked at the white haired man. He couldn't be serious, could he? His mind went completely blank, and Pegasus used this advantage to make a little sales speech._

"_It's not going to be right away, of course. You still need to finish your education, but in the end… I won't be young forever, Yugi-boy, but you have the world in front of you. There are still so many choices for you to take. I'm simply offering one of many, though this is probably one of, if not the, best option you will ever get. And you would get to play Duel Monsters as much as you want to, for the rest of your life. What do you say?" Pegasus said, lifting his tea cup, taking a few sips._

_Yugi sat completely still for a few seconds. He didn't even blink, he was that shocked. He swallowed a few times. "Let me see if I got this right," Yugi whispered. "You come to Japan, my house particularly, just to offer me… a multi-billion dollar company?" He felt the blood drain from his face._

_Pegasus simply nodded once. "If you want it," he added, smiling at him._

"_And it's not some sick joke on your part?" Yugi said his voice almost nothing but breath._

_Pegasus shook his head. "I'm never joking when it's about something important like this," he said._

_Yugi didn't know what to think or say. He felt like he was about to faint. He pinched his arm, but when he felt the pain, he knew he wasn't dreaming. Pegasus was actually in his living room, offering him this opportunity. Finally, he felt some little piece of him returning to sanity. He shook his head and said, "I really don't know what to say or think. It's not every day that I'm offered a company worth billions.'_

_Pegasus laughed lightly. "Honestly, I didn't expect anything else," he said as he stood. "I don't need and answer right away, Yugi-boy. Just think about it for a while. You're welcome to put the offer down, of course. Just know that it's there." __And with those words, he left._

**End of flashback.**

Since then, Yugi had begun receiving DVD-letters from Pegasus, and Yugi had sent e-mails in return. Pegasus seemed to enjoy the interest from Yugi's part, and Yugi actually enjoyed hearing from the man. Though they might have been enemies once, he had come to respect him as somewhat of a father figure.

Yugi had thought about accepting Pegasus's offer, but he'd beaten it down every time. He had no actual reason to accept, and he didn't care much about how rich he'd get. Besides, he wanted to create his own future. If he accepted the offer, then his life was pretty much going to follow a map. And he didn't like that.

He was pulled back to reality as the picture of Pegasus said, "My team of archaeologists has gotten pretty deep into one of the Pyramids. I have this feeling we're about to discover something very important. Aside from this, nothing special is happening here. The wind is blowing, the sun is shining, and the sand is hot as ever!" He laughed. "But it's beautiful. I understand why the Millennium Items were such amazing objects. This land attracts greatness. Promise you'll write me soon, Yugi-boy. I'm sure things are much more exciting in Domino City." And with that, the screen went blank.

About a month ago, Pegasus had traveled to Egypt, saying he wanted to get away from his island for a while. And while he claimed to the media that he was going on vacation, Yugi knew he'd brought a whole team of experts and archaeologists with him. Actually, they'd been there a few weeks_before _Pegasus, so that no one would get suspicious. But he still told Yugi about it, in his own way trying to encourage him into becoming interested in Industrial Illusions. The man said he didn't mind if Yugi said no, but Yugi knew the man hoped for it.

Yugi removed the disk from the drive. He thought Pegasus had gone mad under the sun of Egypt. How could there not be anything special in that country? It was filled with adventures. He couldn't think of a place he'd rather go to than Egypt, but then it was as if another part of him interrupted this decision, and his thoughts wandered to a little country up north.

"_I wonder how Denmark is. Una said it was a small country, but how small? It's farther north than Japan, so it must be colder. How are the schools there? Do the students behave differently than here?" _He thought. Then he shook his head. Why did he keep thinking stuff like that? He blamed it on his tiredness, and without further delay, he went to bed.

Under the covers, he felt like all of his problems disappeared, like he was floating away on a downy cloud. It was very close to heaven in his head. He took a few deep breaths, and after mere seconds, he'd entered the land of dreams.

And dream he did.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _I hope you enjoyed it!

**_Special thanks:_**_**xxxPureRosexxx,** **Scae**_ and **_Efua._**Every little review or pm I get from you is a welcomed boost to my confidence. I can't thank you enough! :D

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><p>See you next part!<p>

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	10. Evenings: part three

_**A/N:** _This is the final part of chapter 8! Aww, that's sad in a way. I enjoyed writing these three parts.

**Warning:** this chapter... is a **_fluff-bomb!_**Not romantic fluff, (ew, people, they're _sisters) _but sister-fluff. As in "Una-takes-care-of-Hana" fluff. Main focus on Hana, we see most of the chapter from her eyes, but a bit of Una in the middle and the end. Why? Because Hana is too cute to ignore, that's why!

... Why do I have this feeling, that **xxxPureRosexxx **is going to love this? (Laughs.)

_**What I own:**_OC's, plot and imagination.

**_What I don't own:_ **The original YGO-story. _Kaleidoscope Heart _belongs to Sara Bareilles.

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><p><em><strong>Evenings: Una and Hana<strong>_

_**Hana:**_

Hana stood in front of a canvas, humming a little song she'd heard Una practice. She hadn't heard the exact words of the song, but she was sure it contained one of her favorite words: color.

Hana was an artist; it was a fact well known among those who knew she existed. She always had a sketchbook with her and a few top quality pencils. Sometimes even colored pencils found their way into her bag. No one, not even Hana herself, could remember when she first picked up a pencil and drew something on her own. Suddenly, she had just created a bunch of pictures. And the interest had stayed with her. Now there was hardly a day when she didn't draw or paint, and she claimed she almost felt physical pain if she didn't draw at least once a day.

But right now, her mind was completely blank. She was painting, but nothing more than some colorful strokes. And it irritated her, since she wanted to draw a landscape. "Pencil, paintbrush, hear my plea. A landscape on my canvas will I see," she mumbled, and then she chuckled a bit. "I gotta stop with that childish spell; it doesn't work anyway. But it's so fun to say!" She said out loud, before she laughed carelessly and put a broad paintbrush against the white surface.

She was in the middle of painting the contour of a mountain, happily ignorant of the time, when she suddenly heard her father yell. "Hanabi! If you don't get in here right now, your dinner will be cold!"

Hana looked up at the sound, then at the clock on the wall. "Ah, ah, ah!" she said when she discovered it was way past dinnertime. "Coming! Just a sec!" She quickly put her utensils in a sink filled with water, took off her smock, pulled out the paintbrushes from her hair, thus making the bun she'd made fall, and ran towards the dining room. "Sorry, I'm late. I…" she said, but stopped when she noticed no one would listen to her.

Una sat in front of their father, Hoshi, and she looked more than mad. She was beyond pissed. Her eyes flashed, her teeth were clenched, and her hands held the fork and knife so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"A coincidence? Seriously, papa, I knew you'd lie about this, but I'm impressed you'd think I would believe that!" Una sneered, her eyes closing a bit. Hana looked at them, feeling like a soap bubble had just popped around her, and exposed her to a world of hostility. Stunned, she stood still in the door way, and just observed the fight between the two.

"How dare you accuse me of lying, young lady? I am your father; I would never lie to you!" Hoshi Yamagawa said in a cold voice. Una snorted.

"Ha! There you go, lying again! Don't you think I know what you planned with Gozaburo Kaiba all those years ago? Honestly, that's a new low for you. And that is truly pathetic, because you're already among the lowest beings for doing something like that!" She almost yelled, her eyes flashing with anger.

Hoshi looked at her with an ice-cold gaze in his eyes. "Stupid child. Do you actually think I would do anything like that to you? All I'm saying is that it would be of great advantage if…" he said, but was cut off by Una, who screamed:

"I AM A HUMAN BEING! NOT A PAWN YOU CAN USE IN SOME SICK GAME OF POWER!"

Hana looked at Una, slightly scared of her older sister, and she noticed her sister's pendant was glowing blood red. _"Oh, no!" _She thought, running to her side.

Gently she grabbed Una's arm and said, "Onee-sama, please calm down!" But it was as if Una didn't hear her because she continued to glare Hoshi. "Una-nee-sama, please, you got your treatment earlier today! The doctor told you to relax, so it could work properly!" Hana pleaded.

Hoshi smiled a little at Hana's interference. "You should listen to Hanabi, Una. She's such a good child. Maybe a little wild, but she's always doing the right thing in the end. Say, doesn't Seto Kaiba have a younger brother who's about Hana's age? Why don't you talk with him, and arrange for the two to meet? I'm sure they would get along very well. What do you say, Hanabi darling. Don't you want to make new a friend?"

At that moment, Una's face paled to the extreme. It was as if you could see each of her veins. In addition to that, her pendant had turned completely black. Hana took a step away from Una. She knew what was to happen.

"You… you…"she stuttered, before her face went completely red, and she tipped over her chair as she stood quickly.

"YOU BASTARD! KEEP MY LITTLE HANA-CHAN OUT OF YOUR PLANS! I SWEAR TO ALL OF THE GODS IN THE WORLD, IF YOU DARE TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN I SHALL PERSONALLY…" Una roared until she suddenly fell silent, looked at Hoshi with an icy glare and left the room, slamming the door.

Hoshi looked after her, before he turned his eyes towards Hana. "Eat, while your food is still a bit warm," he said in a neutral voice. The one Hana knew he used when he tried to smooth things over.

Hana sat down by the table and looked at her plate with disgust. It was some kind of beef, probably of the best quality, but Hana felt sick just from looking at it. She took a few bites of it, along with the vegetables on the side, before she too left the room with the excuse "I'm not hungry."

_**Una:**_

Una stood in her room, gasping for air. She'd run all the way from the dining room on the ground floor, to her bedroom on the fifth. She had desperately needed to get away from _that man._ Because _that man _could make her more furious than anything or anyone else. It was quite simple: try to threaten Hana in some way, and she would explode in over-protectiveness. Hana was her biggest happiness, and no one, not even their father, was allowed to even _think _of something she thought was wrong.

And still, Una was one of the few Hana could become scared of, if she let her other side show. If they weren't sisters, and Hana didn't love her twice as much as she could ever do, she would probably hide from her. Una sighed. And so on the evening, when they absolutely, were served beef for dinner. She was pretty sure Hana hadn't eaten hardly anything.

"_I better go check on her. And make a peace offering. After all, I did ignore her attempts at calming me down," _she thought, feeling the guilt surround her in a thick layer.

Silently she went to her private mini-kitchen on the third floor and found the necessary ingredients for a quickly made, but healthy, meal to give Hana after the disastrous dinner.

_**Hana:**_

Like Una, Hana had gone to her room, on the third floor, to get away from their father. She couldn't stand being in the same room with him, especially after he and Una had had a fight. She shook her head. When did the man stop trying? Was he completely oblivious to Una's anger? Did he only see it as a phase she would outgrow in time, just like he thought about her attitude towards meat? She gritted her teeth. She was overwhelmed by an urge to punch something. Really hard.

She was looking around for something sturdy when she heard a knock at her door. "Who's there?" She demanded, not looking up.

She heard the door creak open, followed by Una's light voice. "It's me, Hana-chan. May I enter your private space?" Una asked. Hana sighed.

"I can't stop you, can I? You're still weak after your treatment today, and I don't want to hurt you… where did that metal table go? I'm going to destroy it," she said, rummaging through the piles of unopened boxes.

She heard the light footsteps as Una approached her. She could almost hear the smile in the older girls voice when she said, "And why do you want to destroy that innocent table?"

Hana finally looked up. She noticed her sister was back to her normal, calm self and said: "Because I'm angry! Both at you and the man I'm supposed to call father!"

Una's face became serious, and she put aside the tray she'd been holding. "I thought so," Una said, and put her hand on Hana's head.

"I just came to say sorry and bring a peace offering. I know I ignored you, and I could have hurt you later, and for that I am sorry. Though I'm not sure I could do it differently, if I had the chance to repeat dinner, I would at least try," Una said, and turned around to leave. For some reason, Hana felt extremely mad at this.

"Don't you dare go away!" She said, but Una continued to walk towards the door. "Look at me, you irresponsible blonde!" She yelled, and threw a book after Una. Hana knew it was going to hit her in the back of her head. She was brilliant at throwing things, and she almost never missed. However, the book didn't hit, but not because she missed.

In a split second Una had turned around and caught the book in her right hand. Her pendant glowed silvery once, before it tuned clear again. Una chuckled a bit.

"Fine with me," she said, before she ran towards the little one, and kicked after her, her pendant flashing golden. Quickly Hana jumped over Una's foot, and made a lunge with her right fist, intending to hit Una in the stomach. Una dodged this and hit Hana in the back. Not hard enough to make her feel much pain, but hard enough to make her fall. The two of them fought like this for a while, until Una called off the fight. "Enough. I think you're done now," she said, a slight smile on her face.

Hana looked at her confusedly, and Una laughed. "Well, didn't you get rid of your anger?" She asked, her eyes shining.

Suddenly, Hana understood what Una had done. Intentionally, Una had made her mad enough to want to throw something at her. Then she would fight back when Una charged towards her. All just to help her get rid of the anger!

"You snake!" Hana said, trying to be serious, but failed, as a smile crept onto her face. She couldn't believe Una had tricked her, again!

Una laughed. "Anytime, Pumpkin," she said, and patted her on the head. Hana looked at her feet, but tilted her head slightly upwards, silently telling Una to continue the gesture. To Hana's great joy, Una did, and she even added a light kiss.

"Now, why don't you put on your pajamas and start eating that meal I've cooked you? I promise no animals were harmed during the production," Una said as she removed her hand. Hana looked up, relieved and smiling.

"Yes Ma'am! I'll do it right away!" Hana said and saluted, making Una laugh again.

"You're a silly little one, but that only makes you more lovable. Now get to it. I'll be back soon. I'm just going to fetch a few things," Una said before she left.

Hana looked at the door for a few moments, smiling, before she turned around and walked into her gigantic closet. On a shelf she found soft, dark blue pajamas with matching slippers, which she put on immediately. Then she went into her room once more, and took a look at the tray Una had brought.

On it she found a china bowl covered with a wooden lid, a spoon, a few slices of buttered toast, and a glass of water. Curiously she removed the lid and a heavenly – to Hana – smell filled her nostrils. She clapped her hands with joy.

The bowl was filled with a creamy mushroom soup, spiced with a little bit of chili and oregano. Hana inhaled the wonderful smell and sighed. _"I love her!" _Hana almost sang in her thoughts before she sat at her desk and began eating the soup. Much to her pleasant surprise, Una had added a bit of spiced butter on the bread. She felt like shouting with joy. How had she been that lucky, to get a big sister like Una? She hummed contently to herself.

"I knew you'd like it," Hana suddenly heard, and turned to look at Una, who stood in front of the opened door, smiling the smile she saved for her.

"Of course I like it, it's my favourite dish!" She sang, before she took a spoonful more. Una laughed, and walked over to stand behind Hana. Lightly she caressed her hair.

"My little herbivore," Una said in a low, caring voice.

Hana tilted her head back, smiled and said in a light, teasing voice: "My big carnivore".

Then the two laughed. Hana noticed Una too had changed into her pajamas, a Bordeaux red nightdress, and she had brought two steaming mugs. She placed one of the mugs next to Hana, and revealed they were filled with hot chocolate with whipped cream.

"I thought we deserved a little treat after today. It has been a looong day," Una said, as she sat down on the side of Hana's bed.

Hana quickly finished her meal, grabbed the mug, and went over to her bed to place herself next to Una. She sipped lightly at the hot drink. Then she sighed.

"What were you and Hoshi fighting about?" She asked. The question had nagged her all evening.

Una sighed. "Don't you already know?" She asked, and put her arm around Hana's shoulders. The little one shook her head, and Una sighed again.

"Seto Kaiba attends the school I'm going to," she said. Hana smirked lightly.

"He had to repeat?" She asked. Una nodded.

"You should have seen his face when he discovered me. It was priceless!" Una chuckled.

Hana laughed with her for a moment, then she grimaced and said: "Does this mean Hoshi's still trying to…? But that's just wrong. No, it's sick! He's sick. A complete cuckoo!"

Una just nodded again. "That's what I told him. I don't want to, but no. He's too stubborn to listen," she said, a bit of resentment creeping into her voice.

Hana didn't say anything because she agreed with Una.

If there was something the Yamagawa sisters had in common, it was their feelings towards their father, with the only difference the intensity of those feelings.

Una respected Hoshi to some point, though it was very low. She respected how he ran Yama-Tech Inc. and had created an unique niche for himself, but she hated how he acted around his family when not in public.

In public he was the happy, easygoing "daddy" type, but at home, he was completely different. Behind the walls, he was strict and always busy. He was almost never home, and lived mostly at work. Una had once told him he only married their mother to look good on the surface, but in reality, he was married to his work. It had earned her a month of grounding.

Una didn't like Hoshi. She respected him, but she certainly didn't like him.

With Hana, it was a whole different case. She had _no_ feelings towards him. She didn't even respect him as her father. She always called him papa-Hoshi, and while he thought it was out of respect, he was oblivious to the hate and mock when she uttered the words. In fact, she preferred not to speak when he was around. When he didn't make her mad, she actually ignored his whole existence. Only with Una, she dared to speak up her true feelings.

"He's not my father; he's not worthy to be called that! And why mama decided to marry a thing like him, I'm never going to understand!" Hana had once told Una in a wave of anger.

No, the Yamagawa sisters certainly didn't like their father.

They just sat silently for a few moments. The only sounds there were, were the sounds of them taking sips of the hot drinks, and their even breathing.

During this, Una had begun patting Hana's head with her free hand. Hana sighed happily and snuggled closer to Una, enjoying the warmth which emitted from her. In response, Una hugged her.

"Did you finish your hot chocolate?" She asked in a low, soothing voice. Hana nodded.

"Then I'll get rid of the mugs. If you brush your teeth and get ready to go to bed in a few minutes, I'll be back very soon," Una said.

Hana looked at her, slightly offended. "It's only 9:00 pm, and you want me to go sleep already? I'm not… I'm not…" Hana yawned loudly, and rubbed her eyes.

Una smirked. "You're not what?" She teased, and ruffled Hana's hair. "Come on, cupcake. Bedtime," she said, but when Hana looked stubbornly at her, she added: "I'll sing to you".

Hana's head shot up and she nodded eagerly. "Of course, Una-nee-chan!" She said, and ran off towards her bathroom. Behind her, she heard Una's light chuckle.

_**Una:**_

She silently placed the cups in the sink, before she went to her own bathroom and got ready to go to bed. Then she walked back to Hana's bedroom, and found the younger one crawling under her covers, sighing contently. She smiled.

"Good, now could you scoot over a bit?" Una said. Hana jumped a little, smiled widely and moved a bit, though she actually didn't need to. The bed was far too big for the two of them. She pushed the covers aside and lay down. Hana immediately snuggled closer to her again. Una laughed. It tickled her.

"No, please relax, okay? Or else I'm never going to get you to fall asleep," Una said, before she yawned herself. "Or I'm going to fall asleep, whatever comes first".

Hana giggled a bit, but then she fell silent, waiting for Una to start singing.

Una smiled at her. Then she closed her eyes, and sang as beautifully as an angel.

_All the colors of the rainbow._

_Hidden 'neath my skin._

_Hearts have colors don't we all know._

_Red runs through our veins._

_Feel the fire burning_

_Up, inspire me with_

_Blood of blue and green._

_I have hope._

_Inside is not a heart,_

_But a kaleidoscope._

Una looked at Hana, who smiled at her. The look on the girls face was that of pure bliss and happiness.

"Thank you," Hana whispered, before she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Una smiled back, sleep closing its arms around her, and pulled her into its safety.

"Good night, pumpkin," Una whispered, as she, too, fell asleep.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**I said my thanks in last chapter, so no need to do that now.

**Important:** With this chapter, I introduce a new concept in the story: **Performing Una**. I'm going to have chapters, where Una is singing, dancing or both. In the dance parts, I'm going to explain a bit about how she dances, and tell you what music she's dancing to. In the singing parts, you'll get the lyrics, and a bit of story in between. Basically I'm mixing this with the concepts of a songfic :D Hope you like it.

Also, I have a question for all of you. You see, I've been thinking about making another three part chapter later in the story, but called "Mornings". What do you say? I thought it would be fun, but I want your opinions.

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><p>See you next chapter!<p>

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	11. Of darkness and dreams

_**A/N:** _Nordic Twin brings you: the official chapter 9 of Long Lost Love. Cherish this chapter, 'cause we got a small heatwave where I am, and Nordic Twin has planned to enjoy every moment in the sun!

Well, apart from that little happy rant, I had trouble naming this chapter. The original name was: "A change of dreams", but it didn't fit what I wanted to write. The current title is what I thought fitted the best, but I'm not quite happy about it. Grrr!

Also, as some of you _might_ have noticed, I've edited chapter one a little bit. I haven't changed anything in the chapter itself, but I made the layout look at bit more like chapter two and up. This is something I've wanted to do since chapter two was beta'd, but I somehow never did.

Plus, when I uploaded the edited version, I realized this story has been on FF for about two months. And though it may seem out of place and early, I would just like to thank all of you so far. Thank you for for sticking with me until now. It means so much to me, and I appreciate all of you. This story is nothing without it's readers. So THANK YOU :D I love you all!

Enjoy the chapter.

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><p><em><strong>Of darkness and dreams.<strong>_

_**?:**_

He was floating in midair. Well, that's what it felt like. Actually, he wasn't quite sure what was up and what was down anymore. The same counted on how he'd gotten there in the first place, and how long he'd been there. The only way he could measure time was when the space around him turned from black to a light grey, but he had stopped noticing the shift long ago.

There were only the dull colors, the cold, and the never ending feeling of numbness inside of him.

How had he ended up like that? He'd thought everything would be good if he came to the place, but it wasn't. Well, it was at first. He could finally relax and see his old friends and such, until he had realized it was all an illusion, nothing but a mere dream. He'd found himself with two solutions when he realized it.

He could stay where he was: in the pleasant dream, where all was good.

Or he could open his eyes, and face whatever was behind the dream. All he had to do was open his eyes.

He'd chosen the latter, but perhaps it hadn't been the best idea.

He had woken up to a void of dull, dark colors. Nothing like where he came from, where he felt warmth and love. Where he'd found his heart again, his long lost love, and seen her as beautiful as the day she was brutally taken from him.

Perhaps it was the reason he'd chosen to let go of the dream. Because she really wasn't there to love him back. Because he'd realized he would never hold her in his arms any more. Because it probably wasn't even her face and voice he remembered. It could easily have been mixed with some other girl he'd met afterwards.

The _real_her was gone, probably lost in her own bubble of dreams, far from his grasp. He shed a single tear.

"_As long as she is happy wherever she is, then it's fine with me. As long as she will never feel pain, I will suffer through this endless darkness. I owe her that, because I wouldn't listen back then,"_ he thought, determination filling his entire self.

He looked around. It was dark around him once more. The last time he'd bothered noticing, it had been grey. _"So I guess it's nighttime?"_he thought. He'd never really gotten what was night and day in that place, but he thought that the dark was night, and the grey was day.

He stared into the darkness, bored, and didn't expect to see anything but the usual: nothing. But this time, he saw something, which shocked him.

In the distance, so far away it was only a little dot; he could see a tiny speck of light. Not the usual grey light, but a clear, shining, white dot. And even though it was very far away, it somehow warmed him to the bone. He sighed happily. It felt so good, well-known somehow. He reached out his hands towards the light, wanting to embrace it and keep it close to him for all eternity. And to his great pleasure, it was as if the light came towards him. In any other way, it grew.

"_Closer. Come closer, please! It's so warm, don't go away! If I could only touch it for a second, then I'd stay here happily,"_he thought, desperately trying to get closer to the light.

In response, the light shone even brighter and grew a bit more. He smiled for the first time in very long. He couldn't remember when he'd smiled last.

But suddenly the darkness shifted to grey again, and the light disappeared. He felt a bit of anger towards the grey. Why had it decided to shift, now of all times? He had felt so close to the little light, and now it was gone. Again, there was nothing but the dullness and him. Was it this strange place that was messing with him, or was he finally going insane? He didn't know, and he didn't care. All he wanted was to see the little light again.

It was selfish of him, he knew that. He should be grateful to even see _something_ different in that place, let alone a little light, but he couldn't help it. It had been like that before too; maybe he was simply so filled up with darkness that he needed all the light he could get. Craved it, like humans craved food and sleep. Light had become essential for him to live.

Without him wanting to, tears flowed down his cheeks once more. "_If only,"_he thought again and again.

If only he could go back to the dream, which he instinctively knew he couldn't, would it then ease some of the numbness? If only he could see her again, would he then feel warm again? If only he could see the little light again, then he could bear to live, or whatever it was he did, in this empty void.

He just stared into the grayness, tears streaming down his cheeks, and wished for the light to come back, while he hated himself for the selfish thoughts.

_**Yugi:**_

_He was dreaming again, that he knew. He stood in a big hall made of polished stones and gold. In the walls were big open holes as windows. The temperature was very high, but it didn't bother him. In the shade of the stones, he felt neither too warm nor too cold. Somehow, he knew he was used to the blazing heat outside. In front of him kneeled the golden haired girl before a big altar. He sucked in a breath. She looked so beautiful in the light of the moon. He had wished to know what she was doing that late at night, and had followed her to the temple. He could hear her whisper something._

"_Oh great Gods of life and death. Please have mercy with me, as I am soon to be banned to the world of death. Spare those I love, and those who seek to harm me. If I am to die, then let nobody else suffer. I accept my curse, and I accept my fate. That is my prayer; this is my sacrifice," she whispered._

_And with those words, she sang the most beautiful song he had ever heard, but, at the same time, the saddest. Though it was without words, he could feel so much pain from it. Suddenly a bright light flashed, and what looked like a grey teardrop hovered above her._

_She panted hard, holding her thin hands above her head. Gently the teardrop floated down to them. As it landed safely in her hands, she placed it on the altar._

"_With this crystal, I offer to you my only soul. It is tainted by my former deeds, but it is all I have of worth to give you. Please accept this," she said. The tear drop shone again, slowly disappearing._

_He felt tears coming to his eyes. No, she wasn't doing it. She couldn't! He wouldn't allow her to._

"_My Love, please don't do it! There must be another way!" He yelled, as he rushed to her side. Gently he touched her arms, but flinched as she looked at him sharply._

_Where her eyes should have been, he saw two bright golden orbs, but with a hint of dark purple and black. Slowly, she stood._

"_What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away from me!" She sneered. He stood, too, and took a step back._

"_I thought you understood all I have told you. I am not who you think I am. Me, a weak, little, innocent girl, who's the victim of false charges? Please! I could wipe out this entire temple, had I wanted to, and many people have fallen before my feet!" She whispered, as she looked at her hands with disgust._

_He took another step back, as she took a step towards him. "My love, what is happening to you? This isn't the real you. Snap out of it!" He said, but she smiled sadly._

"_I thought I told you: the Lord doesn't know all the dangers about me," she said, before her eyes turned hard and she screamed: "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME AT ALL!"_

_The wind suddenly howled, and a sudden wave of power pulsed out from her and pushed him against the wall farthest from her. "My love! Come to your senses, this isn't you!" He yelled, trying to break through the barrier around her._

_She looked at him, her eyes empty, and just as cold as the grip of death. She walked over to him, the power still pinning him to the now icy surface._

"_How do you know that this isn't me? How do you know that all I've told you about myself wasn't just lies and acting?" she whispered._

_He looked into the dead orbs that resembled her eyes. "I know it because I could sense the pure love in your voice and gaze. I know it because I've held you through your moments of despair. I know it because I know you could've just changed my mind room at several moments, but didn't. And I know it because I love you. It's as simple as that," he said, holding his ground._

_Then everything disappeared, and he was in complete darkness. The only thing he could see was the golden haired girl in front of him. Suddenly she turned blurry, and divided into two. He looked at both of the girls confusedly._

_They both looked like each other, but some things were different. The girl on the left wore modern day clothes, and had loose hair to her back. She was pale. He couldn't see her eyes, but he could feel the deep sadness they held._

_The girl on the right was a bit taller than the other and had lighter hair, tanned skin and wore traditional ancient Egyptian clothes. Her hair was in some kind of ponytail held in place by golden objects. She held a crystal in her right hand. Like the other, he couldn't see her eyes, but he could sense anger from them._

_Both girls wore the same pendant around their necks. But the girl on the left's shone silvery, and the other girl's shone golden._

"_I knew it! He knows too much already!" The right girl said angrily, her hands clenched._

"_But he doesn't mean any harm and doesn't understand anything!" The left girl objected pleadingly._

"_Not yet! Do you really want to risk it?" She right girl said, her voice hard. The left girl nodded._

"_Please, don't do this! I beg you!" She folded her hands and looked at the other._

"What are they talking about?" _He thought, not understanding. What did he know, but not understand?_

"_No, it's too much of a risk! We have to be careful, did you forget that?" the right one sneered. The left one shook her head._

"_But as long as he doesn't understand, there's no need for you to do anything," the left girl whispered. "Please. I don't want to harm him. He has a pure soul. Don't ruin it." Her plea cut deep into his heart, as did her words._

"My soul? What are they talking about?" _He thought, before he spoke. "Excuse me!" He said. The girls looked towards him. "What is going on? What are you talking about? Since I'm pretty sure this concerns me, I demand to get an explanation!" He said, before he realized what he'd said._

_Since when had he begun to demand anything? It wasn't like him. He was about to apologize, when the girl on the right yelled: "He can see us! He is aware of this! No, I can't let it continue like this, and you know it! I won't let you stop me!"_

_This time, the left girl only nodded, and lifted her hand towards him. "Then do as you bloody wish. Just don't hurt his soul," she whispered._

_He tried to step back, but couldn't move in the darkness. He had to flee; he knew it, but he was captured in midair. What was this place? In front of him, the right girl smirked._

"_Just leave it all to me," she said, and held up the crystal. He noticed it was in the shape of a pendulum._

"_By the powers of the Crystal Pendulum, I demand the powers of the Twilight realm to follow my orders!" She yelled, and white and black strings suddenly surrounded him._

"_Help!" He yelled, but realized no one except the girls could hear him. The girl with the pendulum laughed._

"_Foolish human, there's nobody here to help you," she said, and held the pendulum over him: "Holy strings of fortune: I demand you to change this boy's mind. With the Dust of Dreams: eternal slumber!" She yelled, and the pendulum shone. White dust appeared and would slowly fall onto him._

_He closed his eyes and was about to scream, when suddenly he felt something embrace him. Strong arms wrapped themselves around his body, tore away the strings and shielded him from the dust. The girl with the pendulum paled. "No, it can't be!" She yelled._

_He looked at her. She was staring at something behind him, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Then she looked at him and turned even paler, before she turned around, grabbed the other girl's wrist and disappeared into the darkness._

_He breathed, feeling relieved. While he probably should be scared, he felt very safe. The feeling of the arms was somehow well-known to him, and he welcomed the warmth from them. Deep in his heart, something woke up._

Then Yugi woke up and looked at the dim morning light seeping through his curtains. He sat up in his bed and looked around while he let the dream flow out of him. He took a few deep breaths before he swung his legs over the side of the bed and got ready to meet the new day, though the dream was still burned into his mind.

_**?:**_

He had seen the light many times now, and it was no longer a little dot in the horizon. Each time with darkness it had appeared and grown, as it slowly moved towards him. He smiled; soon he was able to touch it. That warm, little clear light, which gave him such great happiness in the despair. He had been ready to scream with joy when it had reappeared in the following time with darkness, but that he had been lucky enough to see it for so long, and it came closer, was almost too much for his heart to bear.

Over time it had turned into the shape of a human. A human he knew he knew very well. And this "night", or whatever he should call it, the human was close enough for him to see the contour of it clearly. He felt the well-known warmth emit from it, and he sighed. It felt so good, not quite as good as _her_, but he wasn't complaining. Next to his beloved girl, this human was one of the ones he cared for the most.

The human looked like it was safe. This pleased him. He had hoped for it with all his heart, and it pleased him to see it was reality. Also, it looked like it had grown. At that he smiled. He knew the human had complained a bit about its height before, so he was happy to see it had grown a lot.

He reached out for the light as he did every time it appeared, silently telling it to come closer, when suddenly it stopped, and two grey figures appeared before it.

"_What is happening?_" he thought as he observed the two figures. Funnily enough, they, too, felt familiar, but he didn't know why. He could suddenly feel the anger and sadness emitting from the two figures, and something penetrated his heart. Furthermore, he could feel the fear from the light. And when the angry grey figure suddenly attacked the light, he knew he had to do something.

He leapt forward, and for the first time in a very long time, he moved his arms and legs. He moved as quickly as he could through the darkness, but not quickly enough. A blast of energy surged through the darkness, and something wrapped around the light.

He became angry. A forgotten urge to protect the light overwhelmed him, and he ran, or floated, even faster towards the captured light. _His _light. He finally came close enough to touch the light, something he'd imagined over and over again, and wrapped his arms around it. He tore away what had captured it, and shielded it from the unwelcome power. Suddenly it was as if all anger disappeared from the attacking power, fear replacing it. Then it disappeared as quickly as it came.

He sighed with relief before he realized he was holding the warm light. It was blazing hot, but it didn't bother him. It was as if all coldness and darkness was gone, and there was only the light.

Then it suddenly disappeared from his arms, and he looked around confused, trying to find it, but all he saw was grey.

He felt anger pulse through him, furious that the light had been taken from him, even though he'd held it tightly in his arms.

He roared into the grey light, cursing it with all of his heart.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**I think most of my readers know what's to come pretty soon. I hope you'll like it :)

**Poll time! I want YOUR opinion! **I've been thinking about changing the name of the story. Honestly I've never thought it fits what I want to do with this, but do you guys/girls like the title? I want your opinions. Should I keep the title or change it? It's up to you, so please vote!

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks:<strong>_**_Scaevola2, xxxPureRosexxx._**You're awesome and you know it! ;D

**_Extra special thanks:_**Once more, a huge THANK YOU to all of my readers! Cookies the size of dinner plates for everyone!

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><p>See you all next time!<p>

**-Nordic Twin**


	12. Walking to school

_**A/N:** _Nordic Twin is once more back! A bit less doomed, since _one_ of her written exams are over! Now there's only three... more... left... what am I saying? I'M STILL DOOMED!

If this chapter seems to be below my previous chapters standards, it's because I'm not very happy about it. I couldn't even think of a proper title, so you get this lousy one! (Nordic Twin growls like an angry dog.) Sadly, the same counts for the next chapter too. What is wrong with me these days? Sigh.

...What am I doing? This story is not about a doomed author, it's about mysteries, romance and fluff! Yes, there's fluff in this chapter, prepare!

Well, have a good time reading!

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><p><em><strong>Walking to school<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi silently walked to school, his mind far from the city around him. His thoughts circled around that dream he had had, and about what it meant. He frowned.

"_No, it can't have been a dream. It was too real!" _Yugi thought as he looked at his hands. _"Besides, how did I get these marks if I was been dreaming?"_

It was not something he could ignore easily. Around his wrists were the traces of very thin strings, almost as thin as a single hair, but much stronger. He touched them lightly and winced at the pain. Small they might be, but it hurt pretty badly.

Also, there was the presence which had saved him from the Dust of Dreams. It had felt so real and so familiar that he was almost certain who it was. That wasn't his biggest concern, other than it made him a bit happy.

That shining dust: it had been the same kind of dust he'd heard about in that weird vision. And the girl had had a pendulum, with which she controlled The Strings of Fortune. That was what Emi had said. It was all connected!

"_What is happening?" _He thought, and he stopped to look at the sky. It was the same blue as always with a few clouds here and there. It looked peaceful, like the beginning of a nice dream. As it was now, he should probably be careful with his dreams. They weren't safe anymore.

He started walking again. He didn't want to be late to do his duties. Soon the thoughts took over his mind again, and he frowned, until he heard a light voice say: "Come on, Hana-chan. You don't want to be late for school, do you?"

Yugi turned around and saw Una walking in his direction, with Hana a few feet behind her. The latter was pouting and looking at the ground. "It's just stupid! Why do I have to wear this? I mean, where did the individuality go?" She muttered, pointing to her neatly pressed school uniform. She looked like it was provoking her immensely.

Una laughed good-naturedly. "Oh, stop whining. I have to wear a uniform, too, but I'm not complaining," she said, stopping to look at her.

Hana looked up, her brows knitted. "That's because you've never been to a _real _school before. Always sitting at home, it's unfair!" She said, sounding offended by her sister's attitude. Una just laughed again.

Yugi looked at the sisters and smiled. This little scene added to his impression that the two loved each other very much. It reminded him a bit of Kaiba and Mokuba; these two were just a bit more open about it.

His eyes fell on Una after a few seconds. And though he wanted just to look at her briefly, he found himself inspecting her face and appearance. What he saw now and what he remembered from the day before were very different.

The Una he'd met the day before had had pale skin and a somewhat humble appearance. She'd hidden herself behind her thick, golden hair, and only smiled small, shy smiles. Her shoulders had been a little hunched and her eyes a bit dull. Her over-all appearance had in all honesty been that of a scared little girl among older children. Cute, but out of place.

"_Wait, did I really just think that?" _He thought. He looked at her closely and came to the conclusion that she actually looked rather cute. Her eyes were a bit bigger than the Japanese girls' and she had a bit of an innocent attitude. If she wasn't provoked, that is.

But the Una he saw now was something completely different. She walked straight-backed, her head held high in a proud, but happy manner. Her eyes shone as brightly as the sun, and her smile was only a speck of the happiness she seemed to be surrounded by. In addition to all of this, she wore a hair clip, showing her face to the world, rosy cheeks and all. _"Wait, rosy cheeks?" _Yugi thought.

Yes, that was the strangest part. Instead of being pale, Una's face was lightly pink. Not like a blush or sunburn, but a healthy pink. The same one that was on Hana's cheeks.

He didn't get to think further about it, since Hana discovered him and said: "Good morning friend-of-Onee-sama-whose-name-I-don't-know-yet!" Una looked up at him, froze for a second, and smiled a bit nervously, before she smiled a happy smile again.

"Good morning, Yugi! What a nice day, isn't it?" She asked and laughed, but it seemed a bit more strained.

Yugi thought it was strange, but he decided to shrug it off, though he, too, felt a bit nervous. He couldn't shake the feeling of Una, somehow, being connected to all of this. He had noticed it in his dream. Those strange girls had worn pendants around their necks._Teardrop-shaped _pendants. Like the one around Una's neck.

"_Knock it off! There's nothing wrong with Una. She's just an innocent transfer student," _he thought, followed by a smile for the two girls.

"Good morning Una, Hanabi. Yes, indeed, it is a really nice day already," Yugi said, and waited for the sisters to catch up to him. The silence was somehow awkward, and he desperately tried to think of something to say. "So, are you walking to school together?" he asked, wanting to slap himself. Stupid question, of course they were.

But Una just smiled, and Hana answered, "Yes! Onee-sama wants to make sure I get there on time, but I really don't get why." She smiled brightly, her spirit shining almost as much as the sun. Una chuckled.

"You know very well why I walk you to school, Hana-chan. If I don't, you'd just skip school to go paint something," Una said. Hana looked at her, slightly offended.

"That is a cruel lie! I would only skip all the unnecessary classes," she said, putting her hands on her hips, pouting again.

Una just patted the little girl's head and said, "Which are all classes except art class in your head. And we can't have that."

Hana smiled mischievously. "Can't we?" she asked innocently.

Una chuckled, but she didn't answer. Instead, she just gave Hana a little push in the back, silently telling her to move forward.

"Come on, off you go. The Academy doesn't wait for anyone. Especially not for lazy little artists," Una said.

At this comment, Hana looked very offended. "I'm not lazy! I'll prove to you. I will become the honor student, and then you'll see who's lazy!" She said. Una crossed her arms, and her pendant flashed. A sneaky look crept into her eyes.

"Then you better get moving, pumpkin. In fact, I'm going to test you. The Academy is five blocks away and down that street on the left. I'm going to let you walk there on your own. Think you can handle that?" Una said. Hana nodded eagerly.

"I'll be off right away. I'm going to show you; I'm not lazy!" the little one said before she ran off.

Yugi smiled. "That was very clever, Una. I'm impressed," he said. He had noticed immediately what Una had done. By provoking Hana, she had made her _want_to go to school so that Una would be proud of her.

"Hm, I don't know. I still think it was a good idea to place that tracker on her," Una said before she started walking towards Domino High.

Yugi looked at her, completely stunned. "Wait, what? A tracker?" He asked, as he too began walking. Una nodded.

"One of these," she said without looking at him, and held up something resembling a button. "I put it on her when I pushed her before. I've put a signal receiver in my cell phone. This way, I know where she is, and can drag her back to the Academy if I have to."

Yugi was taken aback by the comment. Then he remembered Yama-Tech. Inc. specialized in micro technology, and then he wasn't that surprised. "But isn't it cruel to Hanabi? Won't she get the impression that you don't trust her?" he asked. Una shook her head.

"Nope. Hana-chan is well aware that I do something like this to her very often. She thinks it's annoying, but she just has to learn to take school seriously," Una answered before she fell silent, indicating she didn't want to talk further about it. And since Yugi wasn't one to press her for information, they walked next to each other silently for a while.

After some time though, Yugi began thinking for something to talk about, wanting to hear her pretty voice. So he suddenly began talking about Duel Monsters, as it was what filled most of his life, and he wasn't sure Una knew much about it.

"It's quite easy actually. You just have to believe in the heart of the cards," he said. Una smiled at him.

"Was that how you became world champion?" she asked.

Yugi stared at her dumbfounded. "How did you know that?" He asked. Una laughed, but she suddenly looked uncomfortable, and her pendant flashed bluish.

"As if Duel Monsters isn't already known in Denmark. It's just not as big as here. Like, there aren't any big tournaments or national champions. But people know about it. In fact, Hana is a duelist, and a pretty good one," Una said, twisting her hands nervously.

Yugi smiled at her brightly, pleasantly surprised by the news. "She is? That's great! But you just said Denmark has no big tournaments; how did she become good then?" He asked, interested in everything about dueling. This way, he could possibly learn something about Una, too.

She twisted her hands again and bit her lip. In addition, her pendant shone in a lot of different colors. "Well, we have a friend of the family who's very into Duel Monsters. He has helped her, and he often sends her good cards," Una explained before she pulled the hairclip from her hair.

Yugi became confused by the action. Why would she hide from him now? She'd seemed so happy and outgoing moments ago. Now she was closed and shy. He frowned. "Why did you do that?" He suddenly asked.

Una looked at him and titled her head to the side. "Huh?" She asked.

He lifted his hand took one of her golden tresses to stick it behind her ear. "Pull your hairclip out. You looked so cute, and I could see your pretty face," he said, not able to stop his words had he even wanted to. They had been truth, and she should know it. He took the hair clip from her hand, and gently put it in her hair again, showing her face to the world.

"There, much better! I like this Una much better. She's nice and innocent," he said, smiling happily at her.

Una stiffened, her eyes startled, and her pendant turning a solid silver color. Her face flushed. She looked at her hands and quickly took a step away from him.

At the action Yugi felt very bad. His heart turn still for a few seconds, and he became cold, despite the warmth in the air.

Una shook her head for a few seconds. "Yugi… I… I… I'm sorry!" She said, before she ran towards the school, and away from him.

Yugi stood still, silently feeling his heart break. What had he done wrong? Suddenly it dawned upon him. _"Why did I say that? She must think I'm a complete creep or something. I don't even know her, and yet I… I… what are these feelings?"_He thought. He looked at his hand with which he'd placed the hair clip in her hair. As if it was the hand's fault that he'd touched her. But she had just looked too pretty with the hair clip; he couldn't resist putting it in her hair again.

"I am an idiot. I promised to make sure her first days at Domino High were pleasant, and then I ruin it on the second day! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He mumbled to himself.

He began walking towards the school, knowing Una would stand outside, probably not wanting to see him again. And they had just become friends yesterday. It certainly hadn't taken him long to ruin that.

"_I really am stupid," _he thought, as he entered the school yard. _"At least I can apologize to her."_

But he couldn't. Because Una wasn't there at all.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _I hope you liked it, because the next chapter is going to take some time to get written. (Mumbles angrily: stupid perfectionism, writer's block, less action chapters!)

**_Special thanks: Scaevola2, xxxPureRosexxx, HeartXCrossbones._ **Your reviews are what make me continue writing. Without you, I would probably be sitting in a corner with a raincloud over my head right now.

**_Thanks for adding me:_**I've never really thanked those who adds me to their Story/Author alert and Favorite Story/Author. So I decided to that today!

Thanks to **_Elentia, PriestessKikyo15, Seepingshadows, HeartXCrossbones_**and _**Aimee-Leigh .M.** **Attwood.**_ And also thanks to all of you, who have added me to those lists in the past. Whenever I see the message, that I've been added to one of those lists, my heart jumps! Thank you so much, I'm glad you like what I write. Cookies for you! :D

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><p>Well, that it. See you next chapter!<p>

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><p><strong>-Nordic Twin<strong>


	13. Looking for a chance

**_A/N:_**You guys should totally thank my school right now! Because of the writing exams (or tests as I can't fail, since I'm not in high school yet) they cut off all internet access, besides an online Dictionary, until evening! And since I had nothing else to do, I sat down and wrote _two_ chapters, in one day. You better appreciate them, 'cause I won't be able to write or update for a few days.

You see, next thursday I'll be on my way to the Netherlands, because my cousin is getting married :D Yay! I'm so excited!

I think some of you will like this chapter, or hate me for making Yugi sad. Anyways, please read :)

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><p><em><strong>Looking for a chance<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi looked around the schoolyard to see if Una was hiding somewhere. He really wanted to say sorry, to tell her he didn't know what he was doing. But he couldn't find her, and in the end, he had to go do his morning duties.

"_I hope she's not crying somewhere, or worse, gotten hurt, because she didn't look out for cars while she ran away. From me,"_Yugi thought, and he mentally sighed. He looked at the clock. It was almost time for them to be in class, and Una hadn't arrived yet. Where could she be?

"Hey, Yuge. What's on your mind this fine morning?" Joey asked, pulling Yugi from his rather depressed thinking. He looked up at his friend, who stood leaning up the window.

He suddenly felt an urge to tell Joey about what he'd done, and how Una had disappeared. All because he'd tried to be nice to her, but accidentally had… what had he done wrong? He'd just put the hair clip back, said a few kind words, and smiled at her. What could be wrong with that? What had she heard in his words, what had he said to her? He sighed.

"Many things, Joey. Mostly the realization that I'm the biggest idiot on this entire planet," Yugi said, smiling bitterly to himself.

Joey looked at him, confused. "Why on earth do you think that?" he asked.

Yugi sighed again. "You see, on the way to school, I met Una and Hanabi," he said.

Joey nodded while Tea and Tristan joined them. "Go on," Tea said. Yugi covered his face with his hand. He both wanted to tell his friends about his faults, but at the same time, felt like it was something between Una and him. Still, he continued.

"She was wearing this hairclip, but when Hanabi left to go to her school and Una and I walked here, she took it out while we talked," he said, earning him confused looks from the three.

"What does that have to do with you being an idiot?" Joey asked. Tea face-palmed at that, before she smiled at Yugi.

"Let me guess: you put it back," she said, and Yugi nodded.

"It's just… she looked so pretty with it… like an angle from the heavens," Yugi explained, and he trailed off as he got a nice picture in his head at the comparison. Una clad in white, playing on a harp, and a pair of snowy wings on her back, with her golden hair flowing freely behind her, as she…

…_Dancing in the moonlight over the endless sand of the desert, that looked like silver clouds. She smiled at him and played a few notes on the little harp he'd given her. The scarf she wore looked like wings. She was so beautiful…_

A hand waved in front of him. "Dude, you're spacing out again!" Joey said. Yugi looked up. Tea was smiling at him.

He rubbed his back head. "Sorry, did you say something, Tea?" He asked.

The girl chuckled. "I just asked if you told her she looked pretty with it," she said, her eyes shining with something.

At that, Yugi blushed. "Well… you… you know. I… I might have… said _something_… like… uhm…" he stammered, but Tea just laughed.

"I thought so. But why isn't she here now?" She asked, a bit of a concerned look in her eyes.

Yugi sighed, feeling utterly miserable. "She ran away from me, and when I arrived here, she was gone. I don't know where she is, and I want to apologize," he said, once again feeling his heart break at the thought of Una.

Suddenly he felt Tea's hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and she smiled at him. "Don't be sad. Look, she's just arrived. You'll get your chance to heal that broken heart of yours and start fresh with her. She's blind if she doesn't fall for you, too," Tea said, and pointed towards the door.

He looked up and felt relief filling him as Una walked through the door. She looked around, and when her eyes found him, she froze a bit and paled. His relief disappeared as soon as it came, and his heart hurt. Why would she ever like him?

First at that moment, he realized what Tea had said. _"Fall for me,_too_…? But I'm not in… or am I?"_He thought, as Una walked towards her seat and sat down next to him. He smiled and was about to apologize, but the teacher arrived and started class.

"_There went my first chance,"_he thought, but he decided it was probably for the best. If he said sorry during the break, he could hear both sides of misunderstanding, and they would make up and become friends again. _"No need to worry,"_ he thought enthusiastically.

But as he soon discovered, it really wasn't his day.

At the second the bell announced recess and they walked outside, Una was besieged by Kokatsuna, thus making it impossible for him to apologize. If another class president heard him apologize, thus marking him as someone who'd hurt her, it would soon be with the principal. And he didn't want that. After all, he'd promised to take good care of her. And if they found out he'd hurt her… no, it wouldn't be good.

From afar, he watched Kokatsuna chatting with Una, oblivious to the badly hidden signs of annoyance Una showed. He wanted to save her, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate it. She would just run from him again. He had to apologize first, and then all would be good. If he just could find the right time!

_**Una:**_

During the lunch break, Una had fled to the roof to get away from the annoyingly persistent Kokatsuna. She rubbed her head. Because of that girl's never-ending chatter, she'd gotten a headache.

"Gotten some fans, haven't you?" She suddenly heard a female voice say. Una nodded, not caring to look at the owner of the voice. She knew who it was, anyways.

"What do you want? I'm not in the mood to talk with you right now," she said, and she sighed. By now, she knew the voice's owner was grinning.

"Too bad, Un. 'Cause I really feel like talking to you. We don't do that enough, you know," the person said. Una sighed again, and noticed the contour of the person, as she sat next to her.

"We fight sometimes. Isn't that enough?" Una asked, and raised an eyebrow. She could see the person shake her head.

"Silly Un. You know it's not. Come on, you used to tell me everything, but now you're keeping something from me. Come on; get it off your chest. What's bugging you?" The girl asked. Una sighed.

"You want to know what's bugging me? Fine, I'll tell you! First of all, my jerk of a father makes me get a deal with Kaiba Corp. In _his_ name, while it was _me_ who did all the hard work. Did _he_ get to know Seto Kaiba personally? No, _I_did. All _he_ did was make a disgusting deal with Gozaburo Kaiba. Second, he drags both me and Hana all the way across the world, as soon as the spring break starts. Can't I have free time? I had _plans_you know. I had planned to spend all week with Louie and Phillip. But no, I move to Japan. Japan! Couldn't he have done it alone? It's not like he cares about us anyway. No, he's just making his image prettier," Una ranted, spitting the words out, anger turning her face red.

The girl next to her didn't say anything; she just nodded and smiled a bit, as Una continued.

"Third, he tells me I have to start _high school_ to get friends. Me, get friends? Dear Sir, I _had_ friends! But you didn't care enough to get to know them! If he knew what he ruined! Fourth, that Emi witch attacks me, and now I got that Kokatsuna girl following my every step!" Una said, before she took a deep breath.

Finally the girl next to her asked: "And there's also that Yugi boy. Isn't that what's your real problem?"

Una nodded, tears welling up in her dark eyes. "He called me cute and innocent, but I'm neither of those! And that is _your_ fault!" She said, suddenly turning her anger on the other girl.

The girl held up her hands. "Peace. I think I'll leave now before you explode. See you later," she said.

Una turned her face to scold the girl, but when she did, there was nobody there anymore. She sighed and shook her head. That damn girl was her biggest annoyance sometimes.

_**Yugi:**_

At the end of the day, Yugi hadn't gotten a single chance of giving Una an apology. She'd disappeared during lunch break, and in the other breaks, Kokatsuna had followed her around. In addition to that, she hadn't spoken a single word to him, while he'd tried several times during the classes. And each second she ignored him, his heart hurt even more.

When he walked home, he was almost swallowed by his heart break. He sighed.

"_Do I like her? What if I do? Would she even consider thinking about someone like me? But she smiled so nicely to me yesterday. I am so confused,"_he thought and looked at the sky, letting a tear glide down his face.

"_Stay strong, my friend. You've experienced much tougher trials than this,"_he suddenly heard a rather well-known voice say. He jumped a little, before he almost instinctively touched the place where the puzzle used to dangle from its chain, only to feel a bit disappointed when it wasn't there.

But the words had calmed him down. Yes, he had been through much more difficult trials. All in all, he'd faced evil strong enough to destroy the world. An apology to a beautiful girl was nothing compared to that.

"I'm going to make things right. Tomorrow, Una will smile at me again," he said to himself.

_**?:**_

For the first time, he'd seen the light while everything was grey. It had been barely visible, but it didn't matter to him. It was there, and that was what mattered to him.

He followed it around as it danced through the grey. He didn't want it to get hurt again, so he hovered behind it. What amazed him was that the light wasn't alone. Though he couldn't see any other things, he felt strong emotions everywhere. Happiness, fear, pain, and some of the strongest emotions emitting from his precious light: sadness and reject.

What could trouble his light that much? It had been so happy before the misery came upon it. In fact, he'd felt indirect _love _from it. This love continued to emit from the light through the day, though it was tainted with the pain. And it was directed towards something. And that something was another light he'd discovered.

His light was a boy he knew, but the emotions the light emitted were sent towards a female light. The only other light in the grey.

And then he realized his light was probably heartbroken, much like he, too, was.

An old instinct to protect and help the light flooded him, but he couldn't do anything. He was caught in a strange place, not able to reach anything but the light.

Still, he felt he had to do something. He owed it to the light. He reached out with all of his powers and said, "Stay strong, my friend. You've experienced much tougher trials than this."

And then something strange happened. The light bounced a bit, before he felt the misery turn to confidence. Joy filled him, as he discovered his little attempt had worked. So he _was_ able to do something in this place.

He smiled and put his hand on what seemed to be the shoulder of the boy. He wasn't powerless.

"_I'll help you as much as I can my friend. Trust me on this,"_ he thought, a happy smile spreading on his face.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _That was it for this chapter. Again, I hope you're not too mad about the heartbroken Yugi, and a pissed-off Una.

**_Special thanks:_**_** xxxPureRosexxx**,_ but is that something new? :D Just kidding, you're a big motivation for me.

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><p>So that does it for this chapter, but wait, there's another one today! See you then!<p>

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	14. To ruin a chance

_**A/N:**_Hey guys, here's the next chapter! Please don't hate me for a still heartbroken Yugi and fleeting Una. But at least, we got some fluff! That's not too bad... right? And Una's singing in this chapter!

Off topic: is it wrong for me to want reviews from more than two or three persons? Because I know this story isn't completely ignored, so it would be nice to hear from more of you. Not that I don't enjoy _**Scaevola2's** _and **_xxxPureRosexxx's_**reviews, I love them, but please? Anyone? I'll give you all a mountain of waffles.

Sigh, here I go again. I don't want to make anyone depressed, just because I'm pathetic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, but it would be pretty cool if I did. And while I wish I did own it, _The Tower_ belongs to Vienna Teng.

Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>To ruin a chance<strong>_

_**Three days later.**_

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi couldn't quite understand his bad luck. He'd had _three_days to tell Una he was sorry. To tell her he didn't mean any harm and had just wanted to see her face. He'd thought about what to say every night, but when the day came, something always got in his way for him to talk with her.

Mostly it was Sobokuna Kokatsuna. That girl had really taken a liking to Una, who politely put up with it. Every break, Kokatsuna would follow Una around, talking about everything, and complimenting everything about Una.

"Yamagawa-san, you are so graceful, like a swan. You should be a model, Yamagawa-san. Don't you know a few people in the fashion business? Why don't you talk with them, and get far away from this hole?" He'd heard Kokatsuna say once.

Una had just glanced at her and shrugged. "Why would I want to join all those thin, little zombies? They know nothing about the real world," Una had answered. At that, Kokatsuna had just laughed.

"But Yamagawa-san, you are just as thin. Oh, I would love to know your diet. Why won't you tell me?" Kokatsuna had asked.

Una had sighed at this. "I keep telling you: I never diet. I just work out and eat healthy because I have to," she had replied.

Again Kokatsuna had laughed. "That is the same. C'mon. I'm your friend. Tell me!" she'd said.

Yugi hadn't heard Una's answer to that. He had left, not wanting to hear anything else. So what if Una had found a new friend? It was good for her; he wasn't much of a friend anyway. With his confused feelings and own secrets, she was much better off without him.

Still, he really wanted to apologize to Una. He meant Kokatsuna wasn't a friend Una should be having. The girl wasn't the brightest in the world, and Una seemed to hate the attention.

"_Kokatsuna is intruding on Una's personal space. It's impolite,"_he thought every time he saw Kokatsuna hanging on Una's arm.

He had come to the conclusion that he was a bit jealous. With this realization, he'd accepted he had some feelings for Una. He wasn't sure he loved her yet, but he was pretty sure he was going to very soon. Just another reason to make up with her.

"_Doesn't matter. I need to find her,"_Yugi thought, pulling himself from his chain of thoughts. He had a free hour and was looking for Una, since he knew she too had an hour for herself. He had thanked god for this chance. Now he just had to find the golden-haired girl.

He had searched the school, but it seemed like she was nowhere to be found, like the ground had swallowed her. _"Where could she be?"_He thought.

At the second his thoughts had escaped his mind, he heard the sound of piano keys being gently played on. Mesmerized by the music, he followed the sound, until he arrived at the music room. Carefully, he looked inside.

And his heart skipped a beat.

Una sat by the piano, her head bent over the keys in concentration. Her hair was in a ponytail, removing it from her face. She was beautiful, but she looked sad.

Yugi was about to enter the room, but he froze in his place when she suddenly opened her mouth and sang.

_The one who survives_

_By making the lives_

_Of others worthwhile_

_She's coming apart._

_Right before my eyes._

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was beyond beautiful, like the angels he had imagined she belonged with.

_The one who depends_

_On the services she renders_

_To those who come knocking._

_She's seeing too clearly what she can't be._

_What understanding defies._

He felt a bit of pain in his heart as he listened to the words of the song. It sounded so sad, and the way Una played, it was like the piano was crying.

_She says:_

"_I need not to need_

_Or else a love with intuition._

_Someone who reaches out to my weakness,_

_And won't let go"._

"_I need not to need._

_I've always been the tower._

_But now I feel like I'm the flower,_

_Trying to bloom in the snow"._

He looked at her, taking in every little movement she made. The way she didn't discover him, seeing nothing. The way she engaged herself in the music, like she was breathing along with the instrument. How her fingers danced across the black and white keys. She was breathtaking.

_She turns up the light_

_Anticipating night_

_Falling tenderly around her_

_Watches the dusk_

_The words won't come_

Her voice rose as she started the next verse, and he listened carefully. He observed her, as she seemed to put even more emotion into the song. Her expression became more aggressive, and she hit the keys harder.

_She carries the act_

_So convincingly the fact_

_Is sometimes she believes it_

_She can be happy the way things are_

_Be happy with the things she's done_

He frowned, as she almost yelled out the following lines. Almost as if she was telling a story to someone, and had gotten to the point of no return._"What could she be saying?"_Yugi thought.

"_And yet I need not to need_

_Or else a love with intuition_

_Someone who reaches out to my weakness,_

_And won't let go"_

"_I won't. If you accept my apology, I promise to never let go of you,"_Yugi thought, not caring if the words screamed of love. So what if he did love her? She deserved all the love she could get.

"_I need not to need_

_I've always been the tower_

_But now I feel like I'm the flower,_

_Trying to bloom in the snow"._

Of course she was a flower. Couldn't she see that? Delicate, pretty, worthy of admiration. But she wasn't blooming in the snow, but in the middle of the summer on the most beautiful day. Yugi couldn't keep his eyes off her, as she sang out her inner feelings. It was truly amazing.

_Reach out, hold back_

_Where is safety?_

"_It's right here,"_Yugi wanted to say, but didn't.

_Reach out, and hold back._

_Where is the one who can change me?_

_Where is the one?_

"_Change you? From what? If you need help, just ask,"_he thought gently, and mentally reached out a hand towards her.

_The one…!_

Her voice rose again, and it sounded like she was crying with the music. Pain shot through him at the sight of her beautiful face twisted in sadness. He wanted to hold her safe in his arms, but he couldn't. Not until she'd gotten that apology.

"_Reach out, hold back_

_Where is safety?_

_Reach out, and hold back_

_Where is the one who can change me?_

_Where is the one?_

"_I don't know if I can be of any help, but I'm willing to try,"_he thought, as he shared her pain through the music.

_The one…!_

"_I'll save you. Just wait for me,"_Yugi thought.

"_I need not to need_

_Or else a love, with intuition_

_Someone who reaches out to my weakness_

_And won't let go"_

"_Everybody has weaknesses. What is yours? Maybe I can help you?"_He wanted to tell her, but the words caught in his mouth.

"_I need not to need_

_I've always been the tower_

_But now I feel like I'm the flower_

_Trying to bloom in the snow"._

Her voice fell to a light whisper and she pressed the piano keys gentler, until the sound was almost gone.

"_I feel like I'm the flower_

_Trying to bloom in the snow."_

He looked at her, shocked to see a little fine tear slide down her cheek.

"_The danger and the power_

_The friend and the foe…"_

Then she stopped singing and lifted her hands from the piano keys. She breathed hard, looking like she was about to faint over them, but she recovered quickly. She smiled and sighed. "Whew. That certainly felt good to get out of the system," she said to herself and stretched.

Yugi just stood still, looking at her while she cracked her fingers and neck. She seemed to be in a much better mood. He smiled. Now was his chance.

"That was very beautiful, Una," he said, as he entered the music room, clapping his hands a little.

At that second, Una stiffened and quickly turned around to look at him. Almost in the same movement, she stood and blushed, making her face look like a tomato.

"You… did… did you… _hear me?_" She stammered. Yugi nodded and smiled at her.

"Every little note and I have to say it was utterly… it something wrong?" He said, as he noticed Una's face had paled from the red, and she looked like she had stopped breathing. He took a step forward and raised his hands, in case she fainted.

"Una? Are you okay? Please breathe," he said and took yet another step forward.

Una took a deep breath and closed her big, startled eyes. Under her breath, he could hear her count the breaths she took. Lightly he reached out and touched her arm.

Her eyes snapped open at the touch. She quickly stepped out of his reach, gritted her teeth…

And fled once more, her face tomato red.

Leaving Yugi to stare at her retreating back, his heart once more breaking. _"What did I do wrong now?"_He thought as he watched her. As far as he knew, he had done nothing but listen to her song. Well, he touched her arm, but maybe shouldn't have done that. He didn't know anymore.

"There went my chance at apologizing," he said to himself, when he realized Una probably hated him even more now. "God, I am an idiot!" He grabbed his head and let the feeling of his broken heart cover him completely. He was ready to admit it now. He liked Una, even though he had only known her for such short time, he liked her a lot.

"What am I going to do?" he whispered, and he held his hands over his heart.

"If someone can hear me out there: what am I going to do? Buddha, God, anyone!" He whispered, praying for someone to hear his plea.

And someone, somewhere, heard him.

_**?:**_

He opened his eyes at the sound of the whispered plea. He looked at the light, only to see it shine fainter than before, and a feeling of helplessness come from it.

He touched it lightly.

"_Yugi, hold on. I'm coming. As soon as I find out how," _he thought.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_ **That does it for this double update. I originally planned for this to be a part of the previous chapter, but I thought it would be better off on it's own. And you readers get a double update, so that's not too bad.

I said my thank you's in the last chapter, so what to do now? Hm... yes! A warning! The next chapter will center around Mokuba, not Yugi and Una. It may seem random, but like my three-parter, it is important to the story.

Oh, and what Una says about models is based on what I've seen in documentaries on TV. I know not all models are sickly thin, but some of them are. I got nothing against the fashion industry, and if people want to be models they should. And please note, that Una is a genius and a part of her is a bit cocky. Her attitude towards models has nothing to do with me, I just thought it would be fitting for her to say something like that. Nobody's perfect! So don't kill me!

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><p>See you next chapter!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	15. Angry Mokuba

_**A/N: **_Why haven't Nordic Twin updated in two weeks? Normally she updates pretty regularly, so what has caused this sudden delay in update?

Well, the annoying aspects of real life came in my way. And trust me, it still is. First, my homework. With the second round of exams, the spoken exams, coming closer each second, and I seriously need to finish my preparations for them, I haven't gotten much time to write. But I want you to know, that I'm currently working on _two_ chapters, so be patient.

Second, the funny little coincidence of my beta and I being away, at the same time, happened. You see, my Dutch cousin was getting married and of course, I had to attend. She was a beautiful bride, and I got to spend some quality time with my three second cousins. Little darlings, I've been babysitting all weekend :D

Third, I was in Copenhagen with my school's choir yesterday, and couldn't update, though I've had this chapter since the day before that.

And fourth, the weather is nice.

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><p>Now, with that said, here's some news for you!<p>

As you might've noticed, I've changed the name of the story. This is no longer "Long Lost Love", but "The Crystal Items: Pendulum".

Wait, what? Crystal items? But you've only heard about the Crystal Pendulum. Oh no. Does this mean that she...? Yes it does! I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. When this story is over, I'm going to write a SEQUEL! XD Look forward to it!

Also, I will start a little compilation of one-shots, drabbles and other little scenes, that I just didn't think would fit into the plot of the story. I don't know when I'll start it though, but it will come.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I missed all of you guys, and I'm feeling like giving you some sort of present since you've waited for so long. Also, it's my birthday next Wednesday.

Now that this ridiculously long AN is over, please enjoy the chapter.

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><p><em><strong>Angry Mokuba<strong>_

_**In the closed chat room:**_

**MKvceo:**_Hey, PG, you there?_

**PaintingGamer:**_You know I am, dude. What's up?_

**MKvceo:**_Had a bad experience with the art today._

**PaintingGamer:**_Aw, that's not cool, dude. What happened?_

**MKvceo:**_I was going to paint my favorite place in town, you know, like we agreed to do, right?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Yup, I remember. What else?_

**MKvceo:**_I arrive there, expecting to be able to be alone there, 'cause it's an abandoned place, but what do I see? A nosy wannabe artist had shamelessly invaded it!_

**PaintingGamer:**_Dude! That's totally not cool!_

**MKvceo:**_Yeah, I know! It sucks._

**PaintingGamer:**_Then what happened?_

**MKvceo:**_So I try to make it clear to this "intruder" it's my place, but the "intruder" says it's a free country, and questions my right to be there. On top of that, the "intruder" refuses to leave, and insults me. But in the end, the "intruder" left anyway! Then what was the point of giving me that long speech?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Ugh, that type? Trust me, I know them. They're everywhere. In fact, I experienced something similar._

**MKvceo:**_What, you too? It's not our day today. What happened to you?_

**PaintingGamer:**_Dude, I've got like no energy to tell you about it. Let's just say an arrogant person insulted my art, and thus me myself, earlier. And all I did was mind my own business._

**MKvceo:**_I'm sorry. Hope all will turn out all right for you in the end._

**PaintingGamer:**_Thanks dude! Hey, gotta go now! Write ya' later! Oh, and remember this: painting is a way of showing the world our souls. And if that "wannabe" can't see that, then said "wannabe" is not a true artist!_

**MKvceo:**_I will remember. Bye!_

_**Mokuba:**_

Mokuba sat in his studio with his laptop next to him and a sketch book in his lap, desperately trying to draw the light falling through one of the smaller windows. In the end it didn't look good, and he threw the innocent sketch book away from him.

"Stupid… ruining my good mood… intruder!" he muttered as he put aside his pencils and erasers, making a lot of noise as he did so, because he was angry.

He hadn't been able to draw something since his favorite place had been discovered by a stranger. He had been in such a good mood, but the discovery of another person in _his_oasis, especially a rude person, had completely destroyed his drawing skills for that day. Nothing looked right.

"Mokuba, are you up here?" he heard Seto call. He grumbled a bit, wanting to be alone, but still answered with a yes.

After a few seconds, Seto entered the studio. He frowned as he looked at him. "What's wrong, Mokuba? What's with the anger?"

Mokuba slammed a box filled with bottles of paint down on one of his many tables. He didn't even look at the older boy. Instead he said, "Isn't it unbelievable how some people just think they can intrude on other people's special places, and even refuse to leave?"

Seto still frowned. "I have never come up here without your agreement, Mokuba," he said, and Mokuba sighed.

"Not you. Sorry, brother. I'm talking about something that happened earlier today," he said before he went to a little drawer and pulled out a red cloth, with which he covered his hair.

Seto felt his face relax as he got a glimpse of what had made Mokuba act this strange. "And it's been on your mind until now?" he asked. Mokuba nodded and walked over to a big canvas covered with thin pencil lines. He placed a paintbrush with red paint on it, and began applying it to the white surface.

"And because of it, I haven't been able to draw or anything properly today! Argh! Why won't it work?" Mokuba said angrily, as the paintbrush slipped, and smeared over some of the carefully sketched lines.

Seto looked at him and chuckled, earning him a strange look from Mokuba. He laughed loudly, when he figured out Mokuba was trying to glare at him, but failing completely.

"I don't get why this is funny to you, Seto. Art is serious business, but I guess you'll never understand that," Mokuba said angrily before turning back towards the canvas. "Become art, you stupid mixture of color and plastic! Art, I say!" He sneered, as he tried to add the paint again.

Seto, who had been laughing through Mokuba's rant, finally calmed down enough, to say, "Why don't you tell me what happened? It might help you."

Mokuba sighed and turned towards the older boy. "Fine, here's what happened…"

**Flashback:**

_He had snuck away from the common area of the Academy during art class, to get started on his drawing to PaintingGamer. He knew precisely what to draw, and how he wanted to draw it. Carefully, so his uniform wouldn't get dirty, he crept through a forest on the schoolgrounds, to get to his hiding place. He looked around, and soon he found what he looked for: a hidden clearing with a little lake._

_The clearing wasn't very big, but not exactly small either, though it seemed to be due to the lake in the centre. Next to the lake stood two beautiful willows, their branches making majestic arcs over the water. Wildflowers dotted the grass, and big moss pillows made some parts of it bouncy. Under one of the willows stood a stone bench, happily welcoming anyone who found their way to this little piece of heaven on Earth._

_It wasn't hard for him to understand why he loved the place. He could be alone, but close to the school, gather his thoughts and paint in peace. It was perfect for a busy child vice-president. Nobody besides himself, ever came there._

_Until this day…_

**End of Flashback.**

"She just stood there, actually, and I have no idea how she found it. Of all the many times I've been to the clearing, I have never seen any trace of other people, and never left any myself. And then she just appeared!" Mokuba said, bitterness filling his voice.

Seto looked at Mokuba as the boy spoke. He knew Mokuba loved the clearing, and almost saw it as his own. Silently, he encouraged Mokuba to go on.

He sighed. "I approached her and said…"

**Flashback:**

"_Excuse me!" He said, making the girl jump and drop something on the ground. Slowly she picked it up, turned around and answered: "Yes? Can I help you?" She smiled at him while she brushed what she had dropped off. He noticed it was a notebook of some sort._

"_What are you doing here?" He asked, not caring if he sounded rude. He wanted the girl to leave._

_She raised an eyebrow at him and rolled her eyes. "I go to school here, Einstein. It's usually what you do at a school!" She said._

_He facepalmed and groaned irritably. "That's not what I meant," he said, and he looked at her, feeling very annoyed._

_She crossed her arms and smirked. "Then I suggest you say what you mean, instead of coming up with vague questions," she said._

_He groaned again and squinted to see her face better, since she stood with her back to the sun, and was a black silhouette to his eyes._

"_I meant: what are you doing here, in my clearing?" He said stiffly, not wanting to keep up the girl's silly game._

_He heard a little grunt from her. "What do you mean by 'your clearing'? Last time I checked, this place was on the school's ground. Thus you can't claim it as yours, unless you own the school, which I really doubt you do," she said, her voice just as stiff as his now._

_He took a step forward. "I have been coming here for almost a year now, and nobody else has ever found this place. I think I have a right to this place, so why don't you just leave?" he said, finally getting a look at the girl's face, since the sun got covered by a cloud._

**End of flashback.**

"She actually looked a bit like me," Mokuba explained, his annoyed voice shifting to confusion for a few seconds. "Long black hair, a bit tousled, but otherwise flat, about my height and big grey-blue eyes. But she had a different skin tone, more pale," he explained.

Seto just listened to the boy, while he tried to picture the girl in his head. He wondered who she might be, but didn't get to think for long, since Mokuba continued his story.

"Then she said…"

**Flashback:**

"_Why, aren't you a charmer?" she said sarcastically. "Chill. I just came here to paint, minding my own business. What's your problem?" Her voice turned angry._

_Mokuba felt his face redden from anger, then he snorted and said, "Artist? You're an artist? That's a laugh."_

_The girls face reddened too, as she hissed, "And why is that funny to you?"_

_He snorted. "First of all, you look nothing like a real artist would. You're too pale; obviously you've never been out in the wild to paint anything. Your hands have no paint on them whatsoever; your outfit is too pretty and seriously? You've got no artist spirit. Do you even know how to draw a circle?" He said, feeling slightly victorious as the girl's face went blank. He was sure he won. Until…_

**End of Flashback.**

"I'm sure I hit a sore spot with that comment, and though I know it was wrong to say it, I don't regret it," Mokuba said a bit shamefully.

Seto chuckled. At some points Mokuba could be just like him, but still more innocent. He observed as the boy's eyes turned hard.

"And then she exploded in rage," he whispered. "My ears are still ringing."

**Flashback:**

"_Why you son of a…! What the heck have I even done to you? I just came here, minding my own business, appreciating seeing something this pure in a big city like Domino City! And then you come along, overly possessive over something you don't even own!" She sneered, and walked up to him, staring him straight in the eyes._

"_Oh, and by the way, do you know the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover"? It means you have no right to judge others by their appearances. Thus, you have no right to say something like that to me! If you really think like that, then it's you who should leave! Because I refuse to! Why should I? It's a free country you shameless jerk!" She yelled, her hands balled into fists._

_He just stood there, taken aback by the girl's fury, which didn't stop._

"_Never have I ever met a more narrow-minded person in my entire life! I mean, how jerk-ish can you be? The only one above you in jerk-level is Seto Kaiba! I won't simply stand being insulted by a little brat like you, not a chance in hell! Arrgh! I can't stand being near your kind!" She screamed before she stomped off, leaving him alone._

**End of Flashback.**

"And then she simply just left. Good the same, what a hissy," Mokuba mumbled.

Seto had through the whole thing listened carefully to Mokuba, not interrupting him a single time. But now he said, "To me, it sounds like you were the one to start it, little brother."

Mokuba stood there for a while, hurt by the hidden accusation, but deep down, he knew he deserved it. "But…" he tried to say, but Seto cut him off.

"No buts, Mokuba. She hadn't done anything to you, so you really have no right to be angry. The fault was yours, though she didn't make it any better," he said in an almost father-like tone. Mokuba looked at the floor, not saying anything.

Seto put his hand on the younger boy's head and sighed. "Enough anger, okay? What has happened has happened, and it's not like you can change it. Still, if I could, I'd like to have a word with the girl myself. Sounds to me like she too could need a lecture," he said. Mokuba just nodded.

"Thank you, brother," Mokuba whispered. Seto just ruffled the boy's hair.

"Think nothing of it. But I want to see you smiling by dinner, understood?" He said.

Mokuba looked up at him and smiled a little smile. "Understood," he repeated, and looked up at the older boy, who just smiled at him, before he left.

Mokuba turned around and looked at the canvas, feeling less hate towards it. After all, it wasn't the canvas' nor the paint's fault that he just couldn't get anything to work. But maybe if he…?

"Painting is a way of showing the world our souls. So if naturalistic is what I paint when I'm happy, then maybe…?" He mumbled to himself before he picked up the paintbrush, closed his eyes, found his anger and channeled it out through the paintbrush…

And mercilessly swiped that anger across the surface of a clear canvas nearby, not caring what he made. He mixed colors and textures, destroyed everything calm and replaced it with fury. In the end he had created something quite good. He smiled at the work, feeling calmer than ever. It had actually worked. Drawing abstract had helped him get rid of the hate in his heart.

Later that evening he took a photo of the painting, and uploaded it on the art web site, giving his creation the title: "The picture of anger".

And much to his great pleasure, a little peppy comment from a certain fellow artist soon popped up below the picture.

**PaintingGamer:**_Dude, that's awesome! I'm glad that my little advice helped you out, man. __Take care._

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**Okay, that's it for this time. I hope you don't hate an angry Mokuba. I know it, he's cute, but I wanted to show, that he can be a bit like his brother at times. Also, this is important for later chapters!

Now, I've got another little service messages for you! If I have any readers, who doesn't have a, account on FF, I have finally gotten around to enable anonymous reviews. So if you want to, feel free to review :) No flames please, but I will gladly accept constructive critisism.

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks:<strong> _You know it already. _**Scaevola2, xxxPureRosexxx** _and **_HeartXCrossbones._**Your messages make it all worthwhile. Thank you!

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><p>See you next chapter.<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	16. Raining happiness

_**A/N:** _Hey guys, I'm back again. Happy, but not the same as the last time I uploaded. No, no, no. I'm completely different. Why?

It was my birthday this week! On the 30th to be precise. So now I'm a whole year older, and only one year away from becoming an adult :D Hooray! (I think you can guess my age now.)

Other than that, there's not much to say. Though I should do this:

**WARNING!: LONGEST. CHAPTER. SO FAR!**

Yes, it is true. This chapter is incredibly long. Normally, I like to have each chapter to be about 7 pages in Word, but gues what: this chapter, is a total of 10 PAGES! So you better enjoy it, because I'm not going to write another chapter this long for a while. Maybe in the future, but not soon!

Another little warning: this chapter is a bit sad and depressed in the beginning. The reason is, that when I started writing this, it was raining, and felt kinda down myself. Plus I listened to sad music too, so... but it gets less sad in the end. And I've added all kinds of fluff! :D I know a certain reader, who's going to love this! Prepare for cuteness!

I recommend listening to **Theme of Rain **from Gundam Seed, while reading this. It's beautiful and fits perfectly with the theme of this chapter.

**Funfact: **This was actually a candidate to be chapter 15 instead of 14. Something special is going to happen soon, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it to happen in this chapter, or in the next. I think both would've worked, but I settled on this one.

Well, enough from me. Please enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Raining happiness.<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Saturday. Everybody loves Saturdays. A whole day to do all the things you want to. Sleep in, hang with friends, play games, go shopping, or simply doing nothing.

"_That is, unless it's raining, and you've promised to help in your family's store,"_ Yugi thought as he stood behind the counter, silently looking at the rain. He felt like the world was mirroring his mood, but, unlike him, letting itself cry.

"_Or maybe it's just my own sadness that's influencing the weather,"_he thought, as his heart hurt once more. Only because he hadn't said "sorry" to that one, special girl.

"What is wrong, my boy? You've been sighing terribly much these days," he heard his grandfather say. And as if to prove what the old man had just said, Yugi sighed again.

"I… I think I've done something terribly wrong, but I don't know what. And I can't even apologize, because the one I did it to keeps running away," he explained, pain seeping into his voice. Solomon walked over to stand next to him and patted his back in a paternal way.

"Is that so? What did you do?" Solomon asked, sounding worried. Yugi took a deep breath before he told his grandfather about how he'd simply just complimented Una, and she'd run away from him.

"And now I feel terrible. Like… like… like my heart is hollow, drained by some leech and left to yearn for what it has lost. This doesn't really make any sense, does it?" Yugi said, and he looked at the older man, who, much to his surprise, shook his head.

"It makes more sense than you think, my dear boy. Son, what you're feeling is a broken heart and the fear of a love not returned. It's a part of growing up, and it's simpler than it seems. But it hurts, I agree," Solomon quietly said.

Yugi turned his gaze towards the rain, not really knowing what to say. "Love," he whispered, and he saw Una's face in his mind. Such a lovely face it was. He smiled a little, but he still felt the pain. "When will this feeling go away?" he asked.

Solomon hummed a little, before he quietly asked, "That depends. Do you want the heartbreak to go away, or the love?"

Yugi still stared into the rain and thought about Solomon's question. This feeling, this stinging and continuous pain was caused by love and rejection, but still…

The thought about loving Una was very pleasant to him. To hold that pale, little hand he somehow knew was so fragile. To hear her call out his name and smile at him, with those wonderful dark eyes. To protect her from any harm, and hold her in his arms. It couldn't feel more perfect, more _right_ to him.

But did Una feel that way? Right now, he was convinced she didn't. And yet, he didn't want the feeling to go away. Even if it caused him pain, he would live through it. Because Una was special in so many ways, and just as fragile.

He sighed and walked around the counter to go stand by the display window. He could see his reflection in the glass, and he looked himself in the eyes. All he saw there was hurt, but as he studied them closer, he saw another feeling. A purer feeling, a stronger feeling than his heartbreak. At that moment, he realized he really didn't have a choice. He had to live with the pain of Una possibly hating him.

Because he loved her. He loved a girl who was almost a stranger to him. And yet he felt like he knew her because of those visions.

He had gotten them more often in the last few days. Visions of Una under the bright sun, or the silvery moon. Dancing, laughing, and smiling, but still…

At the same time his dreams had been showing him the golden haired girl. She didn't attack him again. She just stood in a dark space, tears rolling down her cheeks, though he still couldn't see her eyes. She had reached her hands towards him, silently begging for his forgiveness. In his dream, he was afraid of her at the start, but always ended up wanting to hold her close. To tell her he loved her.

It was so frustrating! Who was that girl, and how was Una connected to her? It just didn't make any sense, because though he loved Una, he somehow knew he loved that dangerous, sad, golden haired girl, too. Why him? Why did his feelings have to be so complicated? When had life turned that difficult?

Finally he whispered, "If this pain means I'm in love and I care about another person, then I will accept it with open arms."

Behind him, he noticed that Solomon nodded and smiled at him.

"Now, let's put my love life aside for a while and change the topic, shall we?" Yugi asked, and blushed a bit, when the older man laughed good-naturedly.

"If that is how you want it, my boy. Got something on your mind? Aside from a certain rich, blonde girl that is," Solomon snickered, not able to let Yugi off the hook quite yet. He couldn't resist teasing Yugi, as the boy by nature was an easy blusher. And sure enough, Yugi blushed once more.

After a few embarrassing seconds, Yugi finally said, "It doesn't seem like there's going to be any customers today. Not with the rain. Why don't we close down early and call it a day?"

Solomon shook his head. "My boy, that is close to blasphemy! On my sign, it says that we're open from 9:30 to 15:30 every Saturday. I can't just change that, just because I've got a bored, depressed grandson. Besides, I think some customers are going to arrive very soon," he said before he turned around and left the room.

_**Solomon:**_

"_You're really deep in, my boy, I can tell. Let's just hope she's worth the effort,"_he thought as he walked away to give Yugi some space and a bit of time alone with the girl he'd seen walk towards the shop. He was pretty sure Yugi hadn't noticed her, while he had spotted her a few minutes ago.

Blonde hair, tall, and followed by a little girl. He knew it was Una Yamagawa, the girl his only grandchild had been sighing over for the past few days.

"_Good luck, Yugi,"_he thought, when he heard the familiar sound of the bell that indicated someone had entered the shop.

_**Yugi:**_

When Solomon left, Yugi walked into the stockroom to make a check up on some of the things they had there.

A few days ago three boxes with new Duel Monster cards had arrived, but these had yet to be unpacked. Yugi knew these boxes would contain some kind of surprise from Pegasus himself, something which Yugi had looked forward to. But with all those problems with Una, he hadn't gotten around to do it. _"Well, that is about to change,"_he thought. Maybe a little message or something from the rich man could help him cheer up.

But the second he began to open the first box, he heard the well known alarm of the door being opened. Soon after, he heard faint sound of shuffling with something, probably umbrellas, and low voices talking together. Sighing, he put on a fake smile and walked into the shop, to help the customers.

He almost walked back into the storage room again, his heart beating faster than before.

In the door way, with her hair damp and coat dripping, stood Una bent over Hana, gently lifting the little girl's hair away from her raincoat. They hadn't noticed him standing there, so he had a good chance of escaping.

"_Don't be ridiculous. Now is your chance to finally give her that apology! Come on, make yourself known to them!"_He thought, but something in him had him frozen to the spot.

It felt like an eternity passed, though it was probably only a few seconds, until Una raised her head and looked directly at him, her eyes turning big with surprise. He gulped a bit and somehow managed to choke out a hello.

"Good afternoon, Yugi," Una answered, her voice close to a whisper. For a long moment, Yugi felt like the air was humming with something between the two of them. There were no such things as time or other people. In that precious, little moment, it was only him and the blonde girl in front of him.

But, sadly, the moment was over way to fast, and Hana greeted him with a polite "Good afternoon!"

Yugi couldn't help but smile at the little girl, who was oblivious to what was going on between her precious Onee-sama and him, or so he thought. Maybe she knew, maybe she didn't. It would be very like Una to keep something like that to herself.

"_Where do these thoughts come from? I don't know her!"_He thought, frustrated with his mind, before he said, "Hello, Hanabi. What are the two of you doing outside in this awful, cold weather?"

The two girls looked at each other, and Hana said, "Awful, cold weather? It's just like a normal spring day in Denmark. The only difference is that it's warmer." Una nodded in a "that-is-true" way, while Hana spoke, but she didn't say anything, nor look at him.

Yugi felt curiosity sneak into his mind. If this weather was warm for them, then how cold was their cold? He made a mental note to ask Una about it later… if she would even speak to him again, that is. A part of him really wished that Hana would just leave for five minutes. He wanted to give Una that apology alone, but how to do it?

It was, much to his luck, in the moment he thought that, that Solomon entered the store. He looked at the girls happily and said, "Hello, young ladies. What can we do for you on this rainy day?"

It was then that Una finally began saying something, as she explained why they were there.

"Oh, not much, sir. We were just taking a refreshing walk in the rain, and we happened to pass your shop. And well, we saw it was open and decided to take a look. Hanabi, this little energy bundle, is very much into gaming and such, you see," Una said, patting Hana lovingly on the head. As a response to this, Hana lifted her head a little bit, closed her eyes and hummed content with a look of pure bliss on her face. Yugi looked at the scene, feeling his heart melt at the obvious love between the two. It eased some of his own heartache a little and he found himself wishing he would one day make Una look like that.

Solomon smiled and said, "Well, then you're at the right place. Kame Game Shop is one of the best game stores in Domino City. So, are you looking for something special?"

Hanabi opened her eyes again and immediately said, "Duel Monster cards!"

Solomon smiled at the happy girl. "Aha, so we have a new duelist in town. Well, little miss, follow me. We have lots of cards," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.

Hana hesitated and looked at Una. The two of them shared a look and a nod, before Hana said smiling, "Yes, sir! I'm right behind you."

Solomon just laughed and went into the stock room, Hanabi right on his heels. Shortly after, the sound of boxes being opened reached their ears, and it would probably take awhile before they would return.

This left Yugi alone with Una, nothing to disturb him or stop him from finally giving Una that apology. Sighing, he looked at her again, surprised to see that she wasn't just looking at him.

Una's eyes were locked on his, a somewhat scared look in them. She stood pretty close to the door, the closest escape route. He felt a sudden urge to reach out and hold her, to tell her he wasn't an enemy, but he stopped himself, knowing she was probably still mad at him or something like that. It was very frustrating, since he didn't know what he had done wrong, but still… he wanted to apologize. He had to. But how to start?

"So… I… um…" he said, looking down at his hands, desperately trying to think of a way to start apologizing, but suddenly Una spoke.

"I… I'm sorry!" She said quickly, and when Yugi looked at her, confused by the two simple words, he saw she was bowing to him.

"Dear God, I can't tell you how sorry I am! That morning last Tuesday I was… I was… I really can't tell you what I was. And then there was the incident in the music room. By all means, you caught me off guard both times, and I really didn't know what to say," she said hurriedly, before she finally looked at him again. He could see her face was red, and tears were threatening to spill over her cheeks.

She took a deep breath. "Running away like that was very wrong of me, and I have no excuse for doing it. If you can find room for it in your heart, please forgive me," she said, her voice turning into a whisper at the end.

Yugi just looked at her, completely dumbfounded, not really sure what to think of the situation.

_Una_was apologizing to _him._ She was the one bowing and asking for him to forgive her, when she had done nothing wrong! What kind of world was it?

"So for all these days… _you've_ wanted to apologize to _me_?" he whispered, not trusting his own words. Una just nodded. A few seconds passed.

Then he started laughing uncontrollably. He couldn't help himself, the situation was just too ironic for him to bear being serious anymore.

"There's no chance I will accept an apology from you," he managed to choke out between his fits of laughter, desperately trying to keep it down, but failed miserably.

Una looked at him like he had gone mad, then her gaze turned sad. "I thought you might refuse my apology. I'm sorry. I'll just take Hana with me and lea…" Una said, but Yugi finally managed to stop his laughter, and cut her off by gently taking her hand with both of his.

"Let me finish. I won't accept an apology from you, because you haven't done anything wrong. _I_ was the one who scared you, and possibly made you feel very uncomfortable. It was _I_ who disturbed your music. Though I'm not sure what I did wrong," Yugi said, whispering as he neared the end of his little speech. He sucked in a deep breath.

"What I'm trying to say is that I am _very_ sorry for what happened. I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable and such. You just looked to pretty with the sun and all," he said, feeling a little blush creep onto his face. He looked down, and noticed he was still holding Una's hand.

"_Crap! I'm holding her hand, and I just called her pretty again. What will she think?"_He thought, and turned his eyes back to Una, expecting to see her paler than before.

But no, Una wasn't pale. She was flushing cherry red, and looking at their hands. Quickly he let go and said, "Oh my, I'm so sorry! I did it again, didn't I? Forgive me!"

Wanting to slap himself, he looked away from Una, and stared at the wall, silently waiting for her answer. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed she had taken a few steps towards him. He closed his eyes tightly, dreading what would possibly come. Maybe a slap or worse. He was prepared for it.

However, Una didn't hit him. Instead, she stood on her toes, to get closer to his face, and said quietly, "Then what about this: we were both guilty in this misunderstanding, and it will never happen again, 'Kay?"

He didn't look at her; he just nodded in response, feeling his face getting warmer from his blush. He heard a faint chuckle from Una, and then something touched his cheek.

It was soft, warm, and light as a feather, and it was gone again before he had a chance to react. As if in a trance he brought his hand to his cheek and touched the spot. Then he looked at Una.

The girl was standing with her back against him a few meters away, carefully studying a shelf with different card games. From his place in the room he could see a little bit of Una's face, and if his eyes weren't deceiving him, he was pretty sure she was blushing. He wondered why for a few seconds, until he realized what had touched his cheek, and he blushed immensely.

"_She… she… did she really…? I can't believe it!"_Yugi thought, his heart beating rapidly.

He just stood, frozen to the spot and gaping, until he heard a cheerful voice.

"Wow, this is so cool! Thank you, Mr. Solomon," Hana said, as she and Solomon walked out of the stock room once more.

The older man just laughed a little and said, "You're welcome, little miss."

Una looked at the happy girl. "Found anything interesting?" She asked, smiling at her. Hana nodded eagerly.

"You bet I did! A pack of magic cards, they're just what I need to boost my deck!" She exclaimed, before she dug into her pocket and pulled out a little metal box, which she opened, and pulled out a deck of cards.

Yugi smiled at the sight of the little duelist's deck. "That's right; Una said you were a duelist. How long have you been playing?" he asked. Hana smiled at him, but looked thoughtful.

"Since I could talk, I think," she said after a little while. "But I'm only playing small time, and I'm not that good," she continued.

Yugi patted her head. "Don't be humble. Una told me you're quite good. So what type of deck do you have?" he asked, genuinely interested in what the little girl might say. It was always a good idea to hear from other duelists and get their opinions on what a good deck was.

"Well… it's a bit complicated to explain, but I prefer to use wind, dark and light cards, all combined into one deck, and use them in different combinations," Hana said, rubbing her forehead.

Yugi smiled at her. "That sounds interesting. Mind if I take a look?" he asked, holding his hand out towards her.

Hana tilted her head and frowned a bit, before she looked around him at Una. The older girl smiled.

"It's all right, Hana. He's a professional duelist. He can beat Kaiba," Una said gently.

Hanabi got a confused look on her face. "But the only one to beat Seto Kaiba is… wait you're _the _Yugi? Yugi Mutou, the King of Games?" She exclaimed. Yugi just laughed and nodded.

Suddenly, it was as if something in the little girl cracked, and her overall appearance changed from that of a cute, polite little girl… to a hyper, game-crazy little pre-teen fan girl, with big sparkling eyes.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! That is, like, totally awesome! I had no idea it was really you! I mean, you were like what, 50 centimeters smaller during Duelist Kingdom and Battle City?" She said quickly, making the three other people, especially Una, sweat drop by her comment about Yugi's height.

"Hana…" Una tried to say, but Hana continued her over-excited speech, making Una look apologetically at him. He just smiled back, trying to tell her it was okay. This went on for a few minutes.

"Your techniques and strategies are downright awesome! I've been a fan of yours since the first moment! Though I've always wondered how Onee-sama would do in a duel against you. That would be the living version of the word awesome," Hana said, finally stopping, and desperately trying to catch her breath again.

Yugi looked at Hana, not really understanding what she meant. And in addition, Una had turned completely red.

"A duel against… wait. Are you a duelist too?" Yugi looked at Una, who quickly held her hands up in front of herself and shook her head wildly.

"No. No, no, no, no! Well… maybe… kinda… but I'm not very good at it," she said, blushing even more.

Hana looked at her confusedly. "Not very good at it? But you're… **Vent, du har ikke fortalt ham det?**" (Wait, you haven't told him?) She said. Una shook her head.

Yugi cleared his throat. Somehow, he knew Hana had asked Una, if she hadn't told anyone. "Is there something I need to know?" he asked, smiling.

"NO!" Una exclaimed, but at the same time Hana said "Yes!"

Una glared at the little girl. "You dare…?" She said, but Hana just glared back, stubbornly holding her ground.

"You bet I dare, sis. This is something you shouldn't hide. You should be proud of it!" She replied, before she turned to Yugi and Solomon, who had watched the little scene, confused looks on their faces.

Una frowned and reached out to stop Hana, but the little girl quickly said, "Una is the European Champion!"

Yugi and Solomon stared at them completely dumbfounded, and before they could react properly, Una handed Solomon a bill, grabbed Hana by her collar and said, "Okay, we need to leave now. The bill is for the cards. Bye!"

Then she opened the door and ran into the pouring rain, a firm grip on Hana's hand.

Yugi stared after them, not completely himself yet. Not until Solomon said: "100 dollars for a little pack of cards… and the European champ. She sure is an interesting girl, Cupid has aimed his arrow at for you."

Yugi just whispered simply, "Yeah, she is, isn't she?"

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><p><strong><em>AN:_ **Well, that's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it :D And I know they don't use dollars in Japan, but Yen. But since I don't know a thing about Yen, I made them use dollars. But come on, a little inaccuracy is allowed.

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks: <em>**

**_Scaevola2:_ **What should I do without you as my beta? You're a great help and support!

_**xxxPureRosexxx:** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter, Pure. I know you love it when I write fluff, and this chapter is practically a fluff-bomb.

_**SerenePanic:** _Yay, new reviewer! Thank you so much, personally, I think it was a fun little scene too :D

You all get a virtual slice of birthday cake from me!

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><p>See you next chapter!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	17. Reuniting

**Una: **Hello. Hana and I are here on behalf of Nordic Twin, who's too busy trying to comprehend she actually got 5 reviews on the last chapter.

**Hana: **In other words, she's sitting in the corner, crying with joy. A bit... what do you call it... _pathetic_ if you ask me.

**Nordic: **(Calm ans polite.) With all respect Hana... (Turns furious.) SHUT UP!

**Hana: **Why? It _is_ pathetic! And in addition to this, you're thanking your readers/reviewers by uploading this ridiculously short chapter?

**Nordic: **Didn't I just tell you to shut up?

**Hana: **Yes you did, I just refuse to do so.

**Nordic: **Why you little...!

**Una: **(With the big sister's: listen-to-me-I'm-older expression.) That's enough, both of you! Honestly, act your age! (Thinking.) But seriously, why is this chapter so short? I mean, is this a way to thank your fans?

**Nordic: **(Fumes and growls.) Okay, that's it. GET OUT! (Pushes the Yamagawa sisters out of the door, and locks it.)

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Okay, now for the actual authors note. I have no excuse, to why this chapter is so short. It just felt right, and wonderfully jerkish, to end it where it does. Especially since I know many of you have been waiting for this particular chapter to be uploaded. By reading the title, I think you know what's going to happen.

Enjoy the (short) chapter!

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><p><em><strong>Reuniting<strong>_

_**?:**_

He hovered around in the darkness, frantically looking for his precious light. For the first time in what he believed was a month, it hadn't shown up during the dark time. For the first time in so long, he was alone again. And it worried him.

Where could that wonderful light be? Normally it would be near him, or in the horizon, so he could hurry to its side, but as of now, there was no trace of it, making him both sick from worrying, and furious with anger. Had something taken his light? What if it would never return? Had those strange powers managed to hurt his light, even though he'd guarded it like it was the biggest treasure in the world? He didn't know and didn't care at the moment. He just had to find it! How hard could it be? It was, after all, _light_. It penetrated this horrible darkness like a needle through fabric.

So he searched like a madman, pacing back and forth, silently calling it to him with all of his might. He had managed to get through to it once; maybe he could do it again. The moments passed, and he felt fear and despair coming over him.

"Dear Ra, please let me get through to him! Let me find him!" he prayed, hoping and wishing with all of his strength.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a change in the darkness around him. He looked up, and in the horizon, he saw a strange glimpse of a warm yellow light and felt the presence of something safe, before it disappeared…

And his light had replaced it.

Relief filled him, and he smiled with joy, though the joy was replaced with concern, when he suddenly felt fear and wishes of escape emitting from the light.

"_What is wrong? Is something attacking him?" _he thought, and he began hovering towards the light, his only thoughts those of protecting his dear light.

Much to his confusion, he only felt the fear strengthen the closer he came to the light. Why? Almost subconsciously, he quickened his pace, and reached out his arms to shield the light from any dangers.

Then, as if nothing was wrong, the fear melted away from the light, and it stopped trying to get away. Instead, it was as if it turned around to face him. Now curiosity flooded him, and he slowed down again, wondering about what could've cause this sudden change in emotions.

He was almost in front of the light, when it suddenly changed its shape, and he was no longer looking at a silhouette of light, but a boy.

A boy with purple eyes, spiky red and black hair, with a few blonde bangs hanging in his eyes.

He almost couldn't believe his own eyes. What he saw had to be an illusion, he had simply gone mad. Still, he felt the need to ask.

"Yugi?"

The boy smiled at him.

_**Yugi:**_

He was dreaming again, he was certain of it. Reason: he was standing in his mind room, a place he hadn't seen since before Atem had left, and it was _impossible _for him to be there without his other self.

Amazed, he looked around, realizing he had missed seeing this place. Several times it had been his sanctuary, and he loved it very much. It looked very much like the last time he'd seen it. The floor was still covered with toys, a proof of his pure heart. The colors were bright, and everything seemed fresh. But still, something was changed.

Pictures of Pyramids, Duel Monsters, and hieroglyphs hung on most of the walls. Sand piled up in some of the corners, and on a pedestal inside a glass box, lay all of the Millennium Items, the Puzzle resting majestically in the middle.

He felt his heart ache a bit, but it wasn't the feeling caused by Una before they had made up. This time, it was because he missed his old self. He had had this particular feeling many times during the past year, so honestly he was used to it. Still, it hurt a bit. How he wished the pharaoh was there to support him, during this difficult time.

Without any real reason, he turned his gaze towards one of the walls, where two new doors had formed. Confused he walked over to them. When had they arrived? What could be hidden behind them?

The left door was white with a light undertone of baby pink. It looked like it was made out of porcelain, but it might well have been some other material. The right door, on the other hand, was purple. Dark purple, almost black. Just like the light that emitted from shadow magic. In addition to this, the door was covered in strange symbols and carvings. In the middle of it all, the shape of a pyramid was carved. Unlike the white door, this door was definitely made of stone.

He looked at the doors, wondering if he should open them or let them be. If this was a dream, nothing should be able to hurt him, especially not in his mind room. But then again, that strange girl had been able to hurt him pretty bad. And then there was… but that was impossible for him to be there.

"_Come on, a little look can't hurt you. Just choose the harmless white one," _he thought, his curiosity overpowering his rational thinking. Unable to stop himself, he reached his hand towards the white door and pushed lightly. It opened up without a sound. A warm light shone out at him, and the faint smell of flowers took over his senses.

Fascinated by this, he took a step forward and stuck his head into the room.

Mere seconds later he pulled his head back and slammed the door shut, blood rushing to his face, making his head resemble a tomato with hair.

_That… _was not what he'd expected.

The room was probably pretty big, but seemed smaller, because of the pictures covering the walls: big pictures, of a certain blond haired, brown eyed girl, who had been on his mind for almost a week. And those statues placed by the walls and in the centre… all of them looked like her.

He felt like such a creep for being overly possessed with a girl he almost didn't know. How had Una turned into his entire world? He didn't know. At the time, he didn't care. That room was certainly _not_ supposed to be opened yet.

He put his hand over his rapidly beating heart and whispered: "If this is how it feels to be in love for real, then I'd much rather live without it." He felt so embarrassed. He wanted very much to get away from his mind room, and that couldn't happen fast enough.

However, the dark door suddenly opened with a loud creak, distracting him from his thoughts of escape. He looked up and noticed everything had turned completely silent, and a somewhat eerie feel covered the room. Still, it didn't scare him, as he thought it would. Actually, he felt calmer, and he took a step towards the door, sneaking a look inside.

From what he could see, everything was dark in there, except…

Somewhere, deep inside the room, a faint shadow moved around. It paced back and forth, left to right, its timing more accurate than a clock. One, two, three, turn. One, two, three, turn, over and over again. He could sense a strong power coming from it, but again, he didn't feel scared. He had been influenced by shadow magic way too much in the past, to feel scared at its presence.

Curiosity overpowered him once more, but this time, he walked straight into the room, wanting to confront whatever could be in there. What strange things had formed in this extra room in his mind room? He didn't know, but he wanted to find out.

As soon as he stepped into the room, the door closed behind him. Startled, he turned around, but the door was no longer there.

He was trapped.

"_Crap! What am I going to do?" _He thought, as he frantically searched for the door. At the same time, he felt the other presence move closer to him. Panic overwhelmed him, and he began to walk around the space where the door had been, looking for a clue as to where the door had gone. And meanwhile, the presence moved closer and closer.

Suddenly Yugi felt completely calm, and all wishes of getting out melted away from him. This strange power suddenly felt very familiar, and if it was who he thought it was, not what, but who, he had no reason to flee. He slowly turned around and stood calmly waiting for the power to come closer. He could already see the outline of the shadow much more clearly, and soon a face became visible to him.

Yugi felt both joyous and confused. How was it possible? Wasn't he…? But how could he be there, then? He smiled slightly when the former shadow finally was completely visible to him. It wasn't a shadow at all, but a boy his own age.

"Yugi?"

Yugi smiled happily at the boy who looked like he belonged in ancient Egypt.

"Hello, Atem," he said.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_ **Okay guys, hands up. Let me see how many of you waited for this chapter! C'mon, don't be shy. Also, how many of you hate this evil little cliffhanger? Please tell me, I love to laugh at other people's pain and impatience. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks: <em>**

**_Scaevola2:_**Do I even need to say this? You're always a big help :D

_**xxxPureRosexxx:** _Please try not to die, whenever I write something extremely fluffy. Hope you enjoyed what I put in this chapter.

**_SerenePanic:_**Thank you! It was very fun to write about an overly excited Hana, there will be more funny moments with Hana later on.

**_The Queen of Ica:_**This is what happens next XD.

**_Crystalbird1769:_**Thank you so much! It pays off to have many relatives in the UK :D Also, if you followed the instructions I sent to you, I hope you enjoyed my choir singing!

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><p>See you next chapter!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	18. Return

_**A/N:** _Hey everybody, Nordic Twin is back again! And boy, is this chapter going to be fun for you to read. I promise, you won't regret it, if you look past my silly little authors note, and scroll down to read the actual story.

Like in the AN before the last chapter, I haven't gotten much to say. The real life for me is currently occupied by the spoken exams. (Btw, wish me luck tomorrow, I'm having my physics exam.) So in between writing this, I'm preparing like crazy. (God, I'm DOOMED!)

Also, words cannot describe how happy I am, to see that more people are beginning to use just a little bit of their precious time, to review on my story. You encourage me to go on with this and do my best. I am very grateful to all of you.

**_Disclaimer:_**I own nothing but OC's and plot.

Please enjoy the chapter!

**P.S. **There's a little surprise at the end! Hope you like it!

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><p><em><strong>Return.<strong>_

_**Atem:**_

He looked at the boy confusedly, not able to understand anything.

How was it possible? How could he be there? Or had he just…? Yes, he definitely had.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Well, this is it. I've gone completely mad at last. This endless nothing has finally broken down my mind," he said, laughing bitterly.

"Yugi" tilted his head to the side, frowning a bit. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Atem looked at him again, smiling sadly. "Because there is no way you're really here. It is impossible; you're nothing but an illusion. A picture created in my mind, because of all this time I've spent here in this place, only because I couldn't accept the dream. Ah, irony. Why are you so bittersweet?" he said, feeling the pain of only seeing his friend through madness, but also the joy of seeing him.

In front of him, "Yugi" frowned even more. "But I don't understand how _you_ are here. Didn't you go to your afterlife?" the boy asked, looking at him with those clever purple eyes. It was almost too hard for him to bear.

"_Why am I even talking with him? It's just an illusion. Still…"_he thought. "I did, but then I realized it was all dream, and I decided to wake up. How I wish I hadn't done that," he said.

"Yugi" looked at him confusedly. "A dream? Sorry, partner, but I have no idea what you're talking about," "Yugi" said, his eyes turning apologetic.

Atem smiled at him, feeling his heart turn lighter, just by speaking with this illusion. "No need to apologize. I'll tell you about it, if you want to hear it, though it's a long story," he said.

"Yugi's" eyes lit up. "That is no problem. I have lots of time," he said.

Atem smiled at "Yugi's" eagerness. Maybe that was what he needed. To talk with someone. "Very well," he said.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi still couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Atem was in front of him, though in denial of him _actually_ being there, but it didn't matter to him. If Atem was here, in a place connected to his mind room, and he was unhappy, then couldn't he… come back with him to the human world?

"_Concentrate, Yugi. Atem is about to tell you what has happened to him," _Yugi thought as Atem began his tale.

"After I left you, I arrived at a wonderful palace. All of my old friends were there. My father welcomed me with open arms; the desert and land was as beautiful as ever. Even… someone special… was there," Atem said, his eyes looking like he was in extreme pain, at the last part.

Yugi studied the spirit's face, wondering why. Who was this special person? He decided to let it go for a while.

"I can't say I wasn't happy. Believe me, I was; everything was perfect. But after a while…" Atem said, his eyes looking like he was far away in his thoughts, before he said, "I discovered that the place was just what I wanted it to be and not reality."

In that instant, something shot through Yugi, and pictures and words flooded his mind.

_**Vision:**_

_Atem was sitting on the bank of the Nile, holding a blond- haired girl in his arms. He wasn't saying anything, he just looked content._

"_I love you so much, my little desert rose," he suddenly said, and he kissed her hair._

"_If that is what my Lord wishes," the girl replied._

_Atem frowned. "You've been saying that awfully much these days. Actually, you don't say much else, other than "I love you". Is something the matter?" He asked._

_The girl just titled her head to the side. "I will do anything my Lord wishes. Come now. Let's swim in the Nile," she said, not answering him._

_**End of vision.**_

"It was when I was around that… special person… I began to understand," Atem whispered, and looked Yugi straight in the eyes. "I understood that all of them… my father… my friends… even my most beloved… they were nothing but dolls and illusions. And it made me sick". His voice turned almost completely dead, only a faint trace of pain was left.

Yugi looked at Atem, sadness filling him, though it didn't feel like his own. Somehow he knew that the sadness was coming from the spirit, and he shared his pain. At the same time, he felt pity coming from himself. It hurt to see his friend this changed. Almost… broken.

"I soon discovered all of the others were the same. They never did anything new, only the things I remembered them doing. And then…" Atem whispered.

Yugi frowned. At that point, Atem looked really disturbed and sad. "What happened, my friend?"

Atem swallowed and whispered, "Their faces changed. I know it is very weird, but soon my father began resembling _your_ grandfather, and one of my dear friends soon looked like Joey. Even… that _girl_ began to look like other women I've met. So I decided to wake up".

Yugi once more tilted his head to the side. "You woke up?" he asked. Atem nodded.

"It was actually quite simple. I just opened my eyes, and the dream ended. And that is how I got here. And I have been here for I don't know how long. There's no time here, no land, no space. Just this endless mass of darkness and coldness," he said, sounding sad and bitter at the same time.

It was at that point, in those words, Yugi understood what his friend had gone through, and all the pain he had experienced. And Yugi, being Yugi, knew he had to do something. But how? If only that door would reappear!

_**Atem:**_

He felt so much relief when he finished telling the illusion-Yugi about what had happened since he had seen him in flesh and blood. It was like a heavy burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. He still felt a bit sad though, and he laughed at this.

"Yugi" tilted his head to the side. "Why are you laughing?" he asked.

Atem looked at him with sad eyes. "Because I feel so much joy from seeing you here, but I know you're just an illusion, and it makes me sad. Just wait and see, you'll probably be gone soon," he explained closing his eyes, and waiting for the illusion to go away.

"Okay, I'm beginning to get tired of this. I'm not an illusion!" He suddenly heard "Yugi" say.

He looked up at the illusion, which now had its arms crossed and an annoyed look in its eyes.

"Yes you are, because Yugi is happy and safe among the living. Besides, he would never appear in this endless hell," Atem replied, still feeling sad.

This statement seemed to only make "Yugi" more annoyed, and with an expression that would make Kaiba proud, he said, "Okay, one: I'm not an illusion. Two, this place is not endless. If it was, how could it be that it's connected to my mind room? Three: I'm not an illusion. Four: when have you ever known me to be safe? I'm a trouble magnet. Five: _I'm not an illusion!_"

Atem frowned. "Yugi" seemed to be quite upset that he called him an illusion, though it was the truth. It was a part of himself who denied it. He shook his head. "It's impossible. You're not here, you can't be. It's just my mind that's messing with me," he whispered.

"Yugi" sighed and face-palmed. "Atem, for god's sake. Listen to what I'm saying! You haven't gone mad because I'm actually here," he said and shook his head. "I mean, come on. Think. Do I even_look_ like the Yugi you once knew?"

Atem began to study the boy in front of him closer, and found the answer to "Yugi's" question immediately.

And he didn't. He didn't look a bit like the boy he once knew. There were a few similarities, but that seemed to be about it.

The Yugi he had known was small, kind of wimpy and had big eyes, shining with hidden wisdom and looking at everything with curiosity, while at the same time mirroring all he had gone through already. Innocence had surrounded him like moths around a lamp, and his voice was a bit childlike. Also, he had been a bit naïve.

This Yugi was taller, much taller, and looked like he had a bit of muscle definition. Granted, his eyes were still big, but smaller than the eyes of the Yugi he had known, and they looked a bit more like his own. They still shone with wisdom and curiosity, but the innocence had decreased by a bit. And almost all traces of naivety seemed to be gone from him.

No, this was definitely not the Yugi he thought it was. The Yugi he had known and the Yugi in front of him were two completely different people.

Because this Yugi had grown up and become more mature. So could it really be that it wasn't an illusion?

He reached out his hand towards "Yugi", wanting to confirm if this was really Yugi, and not an illusion. If it was an illusion, his hand would go through it, and it would disappear. However, if it was the actual Yugi, he would be able to touch it.

"Yugi" tilted his head to the side, silently asking him what he was doing. He just shook his head, and moved his hand closer to "Yugi's" shoulder.

And poked it.

He couldn't believe it. His hand didn't go through Yugi, but touched actual warm, human flesh. As if in a daze, he poked it again, and again, and again, over and over.

He was pulled out of his wonder, by Yugi laughing and teasingly saying, "Yes, that is my shoulder. Now that it is confirmed, do you believe me _now_?"

Atem looked at Yugi. The _real_ Yugi. Not a light, not an illusion. His best friend and partner was really in front of him. And the only thing he had to say was, "How?"

Yugi tilted his head to the side, and scratched his head. "I really don't know exactly how. This may sound crazy, but I was in my mind room, and then there were these two doors. A dark one and a light one. I went through the dark one, and ended up here. But who knows, maybe I'm just dreaming," he said and shrugged.

Now it was Atem's turn to be confused. "Dreaming?" he asked. Yugi nodded.

"I've been having these strange dreams for about a month. I see a girl, I think she's from Egypt, and she's mostly crying. But then, a few days ago, she attacked me. And there's also something strange going on. I see visions, and something about a pendulum… it's so frustrating! And I can't do a thing about it!" Yugi said, suddenly grabbing his head. Atem was at his side immediately.

"Yugi! What is wrong, are you hurt?" He asked concerned, quickly returning to his old duty as the boy's protector. Yugi shook his head, but then he nodded.

"Every time I try to talk about a vision I've had, my head starts to hurt. Quite irritating, actually," he whispered.

It pained Atem to see that his light was in pain, but he couldn't do a thing about it. After a few moments, though, Yugi let go of his head and took a deep breath, smiling at him.

"It's okay. It goes away after a little while. I'm fine now," Yugi said, and rubbed his eyes.

Atem frowned. "I don't think it's okay, partner. It seems like you're in trouble."

Yugi just nodded and sighed. "Well, it's more like I'm caught in a mystery. And it's only been a week since… a new person arrived in Domino City," he said.

This woke Atem's curiosity. "A new person? Who might that be?" he asked.

Yugi quickly shook his head and said, "Oh, just a rich girl. Knows Kaiba well, to the point where he accepts her insults, half-Dane and half-Japanese, sings beautifully. Nothing really special about her, actually".

But Atem knew Yugi thought there was something very special about her, because the boy was blushing. "I see. Are you in love, my friend?" he asked teasingly.

Yugi blushed even more. "No! Well… maybe… but that's not my problem right now. My problem is that there's strange things happening, and I can't do a thing about it," he said, trying to keep his cool, but failing.

Atem sighed. "I know that feeling, my friend, I really do. If only I could be there with you. I'm sure, if the two of us worked together, we'd be able to figure out all of the problems in no time," he said.

Yugi nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too," he whispered.

And then something strange happened

A strange purplish light suddenly shone around Yugi, and a kind of smoke appeared around Atem. Alarmed by these strange new forces, Atem reached out towards Yugi to defend him, but he was caught around the wrist by the smoke.

"What is happening?" Yugi yelled, as the space around them began to howl mysteriously.

"As Pharaoh of Egypt, and the former spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, I demand to be released this instant!" Atem bellowed, before the smoke covered him completely.

"Atem!" He heard Yugi yell before the smoke closed in on him, and he felt his body change.

After a few seconds in this state, he heard Yugi scream.

_**Yugi:**_

He couldn't see Atem anymore, as the smoke had covered all of the spirit. "Atem!" He yelled, trying to get an answer from the spirit.

Suddenly the light around him outshone everything, and he had to close his eyes to shield them. His heart began to hurt and he screamed in pain.

Then, after a few seconds, the pain was gone and the light had faded. Slowly he opened his eyes, and looked around. He was in a white place, standing in midair.

Atem was gone. Instead, a crystal hovered in front of him. It was purple and shaped like an octahedron*. It was almost see-through.

He reached out and touched the crystal lightly. It was smooth like glass. Upon his touch, a gold chain formed and fastened itself to one of the ends of the crystal, before it hovered to him and put itself around his neck.

Suddenly he felt very warm deep inside. It was like he had just gone inside after being out in the snow with no warm clothes on.

He felt a familiar presence entering his mind while the crystal moved a bit on its own at the same time. It wanted to know if he was okay. Yugi just nodded. "I am fine," he whispered. He felt the presence calm down, and he smiled again.

Then he opened his eyes, and saw the early daylight shine in through his curtains.

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><p><strong>Bonus Story<strong>

_**Chocolate Drizzle**_

She was silently sneaking around in the mansion, looking out for anyone who might discover her.

Had she done this before? Yes. Had she been caught before? A couple of times, and the consequences had been terrible. Was it going to stop her?

Heck no.

After a few minutes, she finally made it into the room where she knew her target was hidden. Covering the security camera with a little cloth, she swiftly walked across the room to a big safe. With trained hands she typed in the code and grinned when it opened without a sound. Quickly, she grabbed as much as she could, closed the door, and left without a trace.

After a few minutes, Una arrived at the place. Smiling, she went to open the safe, only to find it emptied of its, to her and the thief, valuable content.

Not even a second later, the following words were screamed through the mansion:

"HANABIIIIIIIIII! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO STEAL MY GODDAMN CHOCOLATE?"

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><p><em><strong>Octahedron:<strong> _It's the shape of a diamond, but with four sides. Like two pyramids with their bottoms glued together. If you don't understand this explaination, google it. (That's what I did...)

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Ah haha! Nordic Twin continues to be a jerk! Cliffhangers! Gotta love them!

The name of the bonus story was **_Scaevola2's _**idea. Basically, I wanted to try writing a drabble, but the result was way too long. So instead of calling it "chocolate drabble" it became "chocolate drizzle". Btw, Scae, have I ever mentioned you're a genius? Because you are.

Chocolate is serious business! And I **_will_** write more one-shots/attempted drabbles over this particular subject.

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks:<strong>_

_**The Queen of Water:**_Thank you!

**_SerenePanic:_**Go on, ruin my fun! Just kidding :D Glad you liked it.

**_"Someone":_**My first anonymous review! Whomever you are, thank you!

**_Scaevola2:_**I don't even have to do this, but I'm doing it anyways! THANK YOU! XD

_**xxxPureRosexxx:** _Another one, who already knows how much I appreciate their reviews! You rock Pure.

**_Aimee-Leigh Attwood:_**Another anonymous, and I thank you for your kind words! However, if you by chance are Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, then I have something to say to you: LOVE YOUr HARRY POTTER FIC! XD

_**Crystalbird1769:** _I did it because I could! :)

* * *

><p>See ya next chapter!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	19. New beginning

_**A/N:** _What did Nordic Twin do, since last time? I'll tell you!

I: Grew an extra head. Became the almighty ruler of Denmark. DIscovered Atlantis. Thought of little lies, to tell you in the beginning of my Authors Note!

I couldn't resist! Hahaha! No, seriously, here's what I really did.

I: Earned myself a nice B at my exam. Got a new haircut. Started writing two one-shots to upload at some later point. Discovered the wonders of listening to Zen music. (Trance-like. Sooooo realaxing.)

Okay, my life aside. Let's talk about the chapter!

This chapter was originally going to be a chapter, with both Yugi's POV and Atems. It was going to start with Yugi, but then I thought we needed to hear a bit about Atem first. So I started writing Atem's part, and with each letter, it grew... and grew... and grew... until I decided to let him have his own chapter for once.

Hope you like it!

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><p><em><strong>New beginning<strong>_

_~mind link~_

_**Atem:**_

He felt… relieved; that was the first thing he noticed when that strange smoke had gone away. And he was tired, oh, so tired. What had happened to him? Was he even still a spirit? Where was he?

He tried to move his body a bit, and he discovered he was lying on something soft. That was new, but nice. He couldn't remember when he had last touched a solid surface, and it felt good to do it again. He wished he could just stay there forever, but there were still so many questions to ask.

"_What happened? Did I fall unconscious?"_Atem thought as he opened his eyes and blinked a few times before looking around.

"_Where am I? This isn't the place I was before, well, I don't think so,"_he thought, taking in everything around him.

The place seemed to be very much like where he came from, except it was all shades of purple, instead of just black and grey. There was nothing else, other than him. The discovery made him sad; a little piece of him had hoped that Yugi might've been close.

"_Yugi! Is he all right? What happened to him? He screamed before I lost unconsciousness, but then I heard him say…"_Atem's mind was working on the highest possible level, thinking about what could've happened to his friend, before he suddenly remembered something.

**Flashback:**

_He had become worried when he suddenly couldn't detect Yugi directly anymore. He could faintly sense something in the distance, but something had hindered him in getting there. He had kept running against some kind of wall and had let out an angry growl._

_That is, until the air around him changed, and a warm and calm feeling fell over him. It was Yugi, he was sure. Though he couldn't see him, Yugi was nearby. Testing, he reached out with his mind and silently asked him if he was okay._

_Only seconds later, he heard Yugi whisper, "I'm fine."_

_It had calmed him completely, and moments later, he had fallen asleep._

**End of Flashback.**

Yugi had told him he was fine, and deep in his heart, Atem knew it was true. Somewhere close to him, he could sense Yugi.

"_If only I could_see_him,"_he thought.

In that instant a white bubble appeared in front of him and scared him pretty bad. He couldn't help but yelp and take a step back.

"What on Earth…" he mumbled, as the surface of the bubble began to wave, and different colors appeared.

Curious, he approached the bubble and studied the colors, and before he knew it, a picture of Yugi was shown to him.

Relief filled him, as he discovered Yugi was safe, sleeping peacefully. He recognized the place Yugi was in as his room in his home above the Kame Game shop.

"It is good to know he is safe. Now, what happened to me?" He wondered out loud, unable to stop himself.

Much to his surprise, the bubble's surface waved again, and it grew immensely. He looked at it with wonder, as it began to show him pictures.

First it showed a picture of Yugi touching a strange purple crystal that was hanging around his neck, and he smiled. Then he saw a picture of Yugi, the purple light blinding him, and something was pulled out of him.

"_What is that?"_He thought, as saw a blue* type of liquid coming out of Yugi's body before it collected into a little ball hovering in the air.

Then the bubble showed Atem himself, caught in the smoke. He saw how he first fell unconscious, before slowly his body disintegrated.

"NO! What happened to me?" he yelled, unable to understand what he was seeing.

His mind, completely distracted by the shocking sight, began to once more work at high speed. What had happened to him? Was his spirit dead? Was that even possible? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice a shadow sneaking up on him, and slapping him across his neck.

"Ouch! What in the world was… that…?" He exclaimed and turned around, only to discover something out of this world. In front of him, he saw the blurry outline of a figure. The only clear things were its eyes. They were a unique color of what seemed to be a mix of gold and silver, with small streaks of purple. They looked straight at him.

_~You, spirit! Concentrate on the bubble, got it? It's not for fun, you know. And I have much better things to do! ~ _It said through a mind link, its voice that of a young woman.

Atem looked at it with wonder. "Who are you?" He asked.

The creature's eyes squeezed together, as it glared at him. _~For now, it doesn't matter. Just. Focus. On. The bubble! It will answer your questions~ _it said before reaching out with what he believed was its hands, and made him look at the bubble.

What he saw in that same second his eyes were on the bubble had him open his eyes completely with shock.

He watched as his disintegrated body turned into red* sparkles, which mixed with the blue liquid from Yugi…

And turned into the purple* crystal, that he had seen hanging around Yugi's neck.

"Wait… does this mean… I am the crystal?" He whispered, mostly to himself.

The picture on the bubble then zoomed in on the crystal before the surface then split in two and showed him himself once more. And then he understood.

"I'm not the crystal… I am… inside the crystal. Just like I was inside the Millennium Puzzle! Still, it's so different. What is my purpose?" He exclaimed, hoping to get more answers. But the bubble burst, and all he saw was purple again.

_~Fool. You asked something you can easily answer yourself, and it burst. Do you know how much effort I put into showing you that? ~ _The creature said. Atem turned around and looked at it.

"Just what are you? Are you a spirit of some sort?" He asked again, now that the bubble was gone. This strange creature, how had _it_ ended up in the crystal?

It looked at him with blank eyes. Then it looked like it smiled, and it hovered down to him, so it could look him in the eyes. Silently it reached out and took his face in its hands…

And pressed his cheeks together, making his face look he had just been slapped on both of them. Then it pinched them.

_~You sure ask a lot of questions, little pharaoh. But I'm not going to answer them. To tell you the truth, I shouldn't even be here, as I don't belong in this world. ~ _it said, before it patted his head, as if he was a small child.

Atem, now insulted, glared at it and said, "Then why are you here? And do _not_treat me like I am inferior to you. I was the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, and a great pha…"

_~And now you're a guardian spirit without any real powers, so it really doesn't matter what you were. Besides, I didn't_have_to be here, but I have respect for the Millennium Items, so I thought I'd help you out. ~ _it said.

"Respect the Items? Then tell me who you are! Don't I at least deserve some kind of explanation?" he asked, irritated.

The creature smiled again. _~I am a mystical being who possesses more power than you can ever imagine. I roam amongst the worlds, and have been through heaven and hell so many times that I don't remember. I have seen empires rise and fall, and witnessed the cruelty of man during wars… as well as the miracles they make when a child is born. I am what humans would call… a goddess. ~ _It whispered gently.

Atem immediately stepped back at hearing this, and he knelt before the goddess, as he knew she spoke the truth.

"I apologize for my impolite behavior," he mumbled. A light noise came from the goddess.

_~Please, don't do that. Who said I was a goddess worthy of praise? ~ s_he said, and he looked at her. Her eyes shone with trouble.

_~I must be off, now, little pharaoh. I really hope you and the human will figure out this mystery. It would be such a shame if you didn't, and very bad for my further plans with_that _girl. I bid you farewell. ~ _she said as she left in a speck of light.

Atem stared at the spot where the goddess had been. Plans? What plans? And a girl was involved?

"Hmm, it seems like Yugi really needs my help now. What has he gotten himself into… no, what have _we_ gotten ourselves into?" he asked out loud.

From the endless purple, no answer came.

* * *

><p><strong>Blue:<strong>

**Symbolism: sadness, melancholy, tranquility, stability, spirituality.**

**Essence of the color: depth, peace, standstill, retreat, cooling, steady.**

**In this case, the color represents spirituality, tranquility, and peace.**

**Red:**

**Symbolism: love, revolution, rage, aggression, warning.**

**Essence of the color: activity, change, movement, expansion, warmth.**

**In this case, the color represents change, activity, love, and warning. (Love because… love is great. NOT in a puzzle-shipping way. Warning because, well, he's Atem. And he's not afraid to give out warnings to anyone who'll dare harm his friends.)**

**Purple:**

**Symbolism: storm, solemn, spiritual, mystical.**

**Essence of the color: solemn, turbulent, confusing, unstable.**

**In this case, the color represents spirituality, mystique, and solemnity.**

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _That's it for this time folks!

I hope you like what I added about the colors. You see, I like to add symbols when I write, and colors are easy to sneak into a story line. I've done it before, when I made Sobokuna. Her hair is green, and green can be a symbol for envy.

About that goddess Atem met... it is true she wasn't meant to be there- To tell you the truth, she wasn't even meant to be in _this_ story. Why? Because she's a HUGE part of the next one! So yes, I'm being a jerk. You won't see her again until then!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Special thanks: <em>**

**_SerenePanic. _**

**_The Queen of Water. _**

**_Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood. _**

**_Scaevola2. _**

**_Crystalbird1769. _**

**_xxxPureRosexxx._**

I thank all of you with all of my heart. Thank you for your support and kind words. Thank you, because you laugh, when I try to be funny. I assure you, I'm laughing with you at all those places. Thank you, because you're all out there, and like what I'm writing. This story wouldn't be anything without those who read it. Cookies to everybody!

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><p>See ya next chapter!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	20. Discoveries

**_A/N:_**May I introduce: chapter 18, Discoveries! Huzzah!

Okay, before I demand that you read this chapter, I've got a little bit of info for you. Not about my life, but about this story.

To begin with, I'd like to tell all of you, that though Una may seem like she's the typical Mary-Sue right now, she isn't. This is a slow progressing story, as you may have noticed by now, and how much have I told you about Una? Almost nothing. I gave you her basic concept, but there's far more to the person behind that. This is something I've hinted at throughout the story, you just have to look closely. I'm telling you this, because it has been pointed out to me in the reviews. I'm not scolding anyone for this, I just wanted to get it off my chest, as some people told me to stop this story immediately. I want all of you to know, that I have absolutely no intentions of doing so.

Second, I'm about to go into the second "arc" of the story, if you can call it that. Atem is back, and the games will begin. Yes, this means there _will _be duels. You can't have a Yu-Gi-Oh fic without them :)

Phew. That sure felt good to get off my chest.

**Disclaimer: **I obviously can't own Yu-Gi-Oh, because I wasn't born when the first manga was sold. I do own this story, though, and the OC's.

Now read. READ AND ENJOY, IT'S AN ORDER!

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><p><strong><em>Discoveries<em>**

_~Mind link~_

**_Atem:_**

Atem looked at Yugi through a sort of mirror, which had appeared when he had said he wanted to see Yugi again. The boy was sleeping happily, like there were no problems in the world, and it warmed his heart to see his old friend free of nightmares and such.

When the goddess had gone away, he had figured out a bit about the workings of the crystal he now resided in.

It turned out he could manipulate everything around him with a single command or request. He didn't even have to say it: a thought was enough.

This was why the walls around him, yes, walls, not endless space, were now decorated in the same way as his old palace in Egypt from when he was alive. Some people would probably think it was strange, but Atem liked it, so he really didn't care.

But right now, the pharaoh-turned-spirit was bored. Honestly, how was Yugi able to sleep now? They had a bright new day in front of them, but if Yugi continued to sleep, it would be over before they would get to do _anything_! He had to do something.

"Come on, partner. Wake up! You're sleeping a good day away!" He said to the picture in the mirror, trying to get Yugi up.

The boy rolled over on his side, mumbled something, and continued sleeping.

Atem frowned and tried to wake Yugi again, with the same results. Yugi just wouldn't wake up. And it annoyed him immensely.

"_Okay, that's it," _he thought, and without hesitating, he let his spirit slip into Yugi's body and mind, and he yelled, "WAKE UP!" before slipping out again.

And that's exactly what Yugi did.

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi was lying in his bed for a few moments, blinking tiredly, before he yawned and stretched. He looked at his alarm clock, the red digital numbers telling him it was about 6 in the morning.

"_Strange. Usually I'm sleeping past 9:30 on a Sunday morning. Oh well. I'll just go back to sleep," _he thought before rolling onto his other side and closing his eyes.

He yawned again. _"That was one bizarre dream. Why do I feel like I've forgotten something important?" _he thought, almost back asleep.

_~Maybe it's because you _have _forgotten something. Honestly, Yugi, I'm hurt,~ _a voice suddenly said in his head.

Immediately Yugi reopened his eyes and sat up in his bed. "Atem! So it wasn't a dream!" he exclaimed and looked around for his friend.

He heard the spirit laugh. _~Of course it wasn't. Haven't you learned by now that most dreams are to be taken as much more than they seem to be?~_ Atem said.

Yugi still looked around, causing Atem to laugh again. _~If it's me you're looking for, then I'm in the crystal,~_ Atem explained.

Something clicked into place in Yugi's mind, and without looking, he grabbed something around his neck and pulled the purple crystal out from under his sleeping shirt.

Fascinated by this strange phenomenon that had happened during his sleep, he swung the crystal in front of his eyes.

_~Stop it, please!'ouch' I have 'ouch' things inside of 'ouch' here!~_ Atem yelled through the mind link, while he was rolling, flipping and turning along with his newly placed (and created) decorations.

Yugi immediately stopped his actions, and let the crystal hang in front of his eyes instead, so he could study it closer, while Atem grumbled something along the lines of: _~Hurt… my new home… irresponsible…~_

Yugi smiled apologetically, even though he wasn't sure Atem could see it, and said: "Sorry. I didn't think it would affect anything".

In his mind, he could faintly sense Atem's acceptance of the apology, and he smiled a bit before getting out of bed and going to the bath room to splash some water on his face to help him clear his thoughts.

He almost couldn't believe it. Atem was actually there with him; the spirit was back. He was able to do something again; maybe he could solve the mystery about the girl from his dreams, and Emi's attack.

_~So what are we going to do?~_ Atem asked while Yugi washed his face.

Yugi looked at himself in the mirror and dried the water off, thoughts clear in his eyes. He stood like that for a few minutes until he finally looked like he had cleared everything out.

"Kay, here's what we're going to do," Yugi said, and headed into his bedroom to find some clothes. Meanwhile, Atem waited expectantly.

"To begin with, I'm getting some breakfast," he stated. Through the mind link, he heard Atem face-palm and groan in annoyance. He knew the spirit was probably shaking his head at him.

_~Is this the only aspect of your genius plan?~_ Atem asked when Yugi had finished eating, still sounding annoyed. Yugi shook his head and laughed.

"I suggest we try to discover what this crystal can and can't do. We don't know what it is, or how we made it appear. Maybe it'll help us discover why you are here now, too," Yugi explained.

Yugi suddenly felt something from Atem through the crystal, though he wasn't saying anything. It was… eagerness… and a bit of excitement. "What is it? Do you know something?" Yugi asked.

Again he felt Atem's eagerness, but instead of getting an answer from the spirit, his mind was suddenly flooded with pictures.

And boy, did it amaze him what he saw.

He saw himself and a blue liquid. A strange creature calling itself a goddess. Atem turning into red dust. He saw… what did he actually just see?

"What… was… that…?" Yugi asked slowly.

_~What was what?~_ Atem asked confusedly, and Yugi scratched his head.

"It was… pictures I think. Or memories. I saw myself and some sort of blue liquid. And you turned into red dust. And there was this goddess… have I gone insane?" Yugi said, feeling rather stupid by saying that, expecting Atem to laugh at him.

But the spirit didn't laugh; instead Yugi felt an extreme pulse of surprise and eagerness fall over him again, before the spirit almost yelled: _~You're not insane. That happened to me, I saw that goddess and those pictures, when I tried to find out what had happened to me. I was about to tell it to you, but apparently I somehow… showed you my memories?~_

Now Yugi felt eager too. This could turn out to be very interesting. If this was something they could do with this crystal, what other things could they possibly do?

"Okay, I'll get dressed and eat quickly so we can start figuring out what this little thing is capable of doing," Yugi exclaimed, almost running towards his room, unable to keep all of his excitement inside.

**_Time skip to early afternoon. Still Yugi's POV._**

Yugi was practically buzzing with excitement and high on the new discoveries he and Atem had made that morning, as he cooked himself some noodles for lunch. And that was actually quite a lot of interesting discoveries.

To begin with, they had confirmed that they indeed were able to share memories, but not only that. Yugi and Atem were now able to share some emotions, if they were strong enough. Thus, Atem was also buzzing with excitement.

The second discovery had been that of Atem being able to enter Yugi's body and take control of it again, just like in the days of the puzzle. Yugi didn't end up in the crystal though. He ended up in his mind room, but like Atem, he was able to observe everything the spirit did while in control of the body.

As a new thing, Atem was able to gain access to Yugi's mind room when he wanted to. But why would he? He understood the basic rules of privacy, and since they already shared a body, the only actual place of privacy Yugi had now was his thoughts.

Atem was still able to project himself out from the crystal, like he had been able to back then. They had tried to experiment a little on Solomon, to see if he was able to see Atem's ghost-like shape, but the old man hadn't been able to see anything, nor figure out what Yugi had wanted him to see.

But the last thing they had discovered had hurt Atem pretty bad.

He wasn't able to use Shadow magic. Not even the tiniest amount. All he could perform of any magic was a few basic protection spells, and that was it. And since they now shared some emotions, Yugi knew how horrible Atem really felt behind all that joy he himself had shared with the spirit.

_~Cheer up, Atem. It'll work out in the end~_ Yugi tried to encourage Atem, only to be rewared with silence.

Sadly, he knew Atem didn't want to be cheered. Shadow magic had been almost all he knew when he had first met Yugi. It had practically been his life, so not being able to do any of it had actually shocked him quite a bit.

Yugi sighed, poured the noodles into a bowl, and sat down by the table to eat, soon to be accompanied by Solomon.

"Good afternoon, my boy. What have you been doing this fine morning?" Solomon asked, smiling at him.

Yugi smiled back and answered, "Nothing much," before starting on his noodles.

Solomon just nodded. "Is that so? Why is it then, that you were up extremely early today and have been hiding in your room all this time? And asked me if I could see something? Any secret projects going on lately?" he asked, trying to drag the answers out of Yugi.

Yugi just laughed. "Okay, maybe I have been working on some things," he said and continued eating.

"Like what?" Solomon finally asked after a few minutes of watching Yugi eat, waiting for him to continue talking.

Yugi put the now finished bowl of noodles down and said, "Sorry, but you'll have to wait until the others arrive." Then he stood and cleaned his bowl.

"The others?" Solomon asked, and Yugi nodded.

"I called Tea, Joey and Tristan and asked them to come here to hang out. That's not a problem, is it?" Yugi said, and looked over his shoulder at the older man. Solomon shook his head.

"No that is fine my boy. Is it something very important you want to tell them?" Solomon asked, and went to stand next to the boy. Yugi nodded again.

"You'll figure it out when they arrive. But now I've got to prepare some things. See you later, Grandpa," Yugi said, heading back to his room.

_~Our friends are coming?~_ Atem asked, not able to hide the excitement in his voice. Yugi nodded.

"I thought you might want to see them. And they need to know you're back anyways, so I called them while you took a nap earlier," Yugi explained as he dug around his room until he found what he was looking for.

A deck of cards, and a duel disc.

_~A deck and a duel disc… are you going to duel?~ _Atem asked, and again Yugi nodded with a grin.

"Did you really think I would give up on that? Of course I still duel, but not quite in the same way," Yugi said, and began shuffling the deck.

He felt confusion from Atem, but he shook his head. "You'll find out what I mean soon enough," Yugi said, as he heard voices calling him.

"Hey, Yuge! You up there?" he heard Joey call.

He walked out of his room and called down the stairs to the shop: "Yes, come on up!"

He heard the sound of footsteps on stairs and three different voices. Shortly after, Tea, Tristan and Joey walked in.

"Hey dude! 'Sup?" Joey asked and sat down in a chair in the living room. Tea and Tristan followed suit, but Yugi remained standing and shrugged.

"Nothing much," Yugi lied, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal Atem's return. Said spirit had meanwhile received a quick description of the plans on how to reveal him, and he was snickering to himself.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's have a quick-duel!" Joey exclaimed and jumped up from the chair.

"Idiot! Don't you remember Yugi told us he had something important to say?" Tea scolded, turning towards Yugi. "So…? What is this important news you wanted to tell us?" she asked.

Yugi shook his head. "Oh, that can wait for now. I never say no to a quick-duel," Yugi said, smiling innocently.

_~A quick-duel? What is that?~_ Atem asked.

Yugi smiled and explained what it was through the mind link:

_~A quick-duel is, as the name implies, a short duel. A duel takes from 5 to 10 minutes; you choose the time limit with your opponent, and the winner is the one with the highest amount of life points left when the time runs out. In a tournament, you play three duels, each 10 minutes long, against one opponent. The winner is whoever wins at least two of the duels. The rules are the same as a normal duel, but you have 2000 life points instead of 4000. But, due to the time limit, it is impossible to use complicated strategies.~_

Yugi felt Atem's interest for this type of duel immediately, and he shared the spirit's excitement. Something new in the dueliing world. What wonders could happen?

**_Atem:_**

Atem looked at the picture in the mirror intensely. They had gone outside, and Yugi and Joey had just begun a quick-duel following tournament rules. Yugi wanted to play the first two duels himself, so he could observe. Then, when they reached the third duel, Yugi would retreat, and let him take control. He grinned. This was going to be fun.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Let the duels begin!

**REQUEST: **FANART! Since I now officially have more than 250 visitors, and over 1000 hits, I thought that maybe some of my amazing readers liked to draw. Then it occured to me, that they may have DeviantArt accounts. So...? Anyone out there want to draw a bit of fanart for me? If you do, the name's **NordicTwin** on DA. So don't be shy, I'd love to see anything from you guys!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Special thanks:<em>**

**_SerenePanic, The Queen of Water, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, xxxPureRosexxx, ThunderNinjaBird, Airheadninja, Scaevola2, Crystalbird1769 and Aqua Girl 007._**

I thank you all for your comments and critique. And since I feel like doing something different today, here's S'mores for all of you!

* * *

><p>See you next time!<br>**_-Nordic Twin_**


	21. Surprises

_**A/N:** _It is _finally _here. The 19th chapter of The Crystal Items: Pendulum!

And why haven't Nordic Twin uploaded for over. Two. Weeks? There's multiple reasons, one of them simply being a lazy me.

The main reason, though, is that on July 1st, I got out of boarding school. (Y'know... the school with the choir, and the place where I uploaded/wrote several of your favorite chapters.) I've been a bit down because of it, since the place had become a second home for me, and I love it very much. It changed me in so many ways, and I'm not afraid to admit, that the writer you know as Nordic Twin probably wouldn't be here, if I hadn't decided to go to boarding school. And now it's over... way too early... and I'm going to miss everything. And even if I wasn't going to High School now, I wouldn't be allowed to stay there for a year more, because they only let you be there for a single year. Nothing more. But it was a great year, and I'll always remember it.

That aside, it's my summer holidays now. Sweet, glorius freedom! So like many others, I'm going on vacation tomorrow. I'll be gone for two weeks, but if it's possible, I'll bring my laptop so I can write. But no uploading, as internet will be a rarity. I have my phone's internet, but it's way too expensive to have my computer use it.

Now, about the chapter. It's a chapter with duels, and since I know almost nothing a bout duels, I got some help. I would like to thank **xxxPureRosexxx** for the help. This is my first time writing about duels, so if I've got anything wrong, please don't kill me. I apologize if anyone is OOC. This chapter gave me many problems, and to be honest, I'm not satisfied with it.

Enough chit-chat. Please enjoy. **And I own nothing but OC's and plot!**

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><p><em><strong>Surprises<strong>_

_**Joey:**_

Joey looked at Yugi across the field. The two of them had flipped a coin to figure out who started the duel, and Yugi had won. Now all he had to do was wait for Yugi to make his first move, and then the duel could start.

Yugi put on his duel disc and said, "I would like to point out that the winner of the duels begins the next."

Joey looked at Yugi confusedly. Why did he say that? Everybody knew this rule; it had been stated since the beginning. Then he discovered Solomon stood on the side line of the field, and smiled.

"_Yugi must've said it to Mr. Mutou. He's old, and maybe he forgets easily. Yeah, that must be the reason why,"_ Joey thought, and turned his eyes towards Yugi once more.

Yugi stood silently looking at his cards, with a slight frown on his forehead. Then he smiled. "Let the duel begin!" Yugi proclaimed, and made his first move.

"I set Kuriboh (ATK 300/DEF 200). Then I sacrifice it, to summon Curse of Dragon (ATK 2000/DEF 1500)!" Yugi said, and ended his turn.

Joey looked at the dragon hovering in front of him, and couldn't help but whistle a little. It was a pretty strong monster to start a quick-duel with, and he was surprised Yugi had decided to sacrifice his beloved little Kuriboh, but at the time, it didn't matter much to him. The timer was set to 10 minutes, and he had no time to speculate over Yugi's choices. At the moment, he had to focus on the duel, and possibly beating Yugi.

"_All right, let's see. Yugi's obviously serious about this duel, so… what do I have to work with?"_ Joey thought, and looked through the cards in his hand.

The second he discovered which cards he had, he immediately felt his mood go up. As long as the goddess of luck was on his side, then everything would turn out more than fine.

"All right, here we go!" Joey said, and pulled out a card.

"I begin with setting Brigadier of Landstar (ATK 900/ DEF 1200)," he said, as he placed the card.

"And then I draw the spell card Star Blaster! If this little fella's dice lands on a 6, my monster will change and become a level 6 monster. Pretty cool, huh?" Joey said, and smiled, as Star Blaster's dice began to roll around on the field.

Yugi tilted his head to the side. "Even if you change Brigadier of Landstar's level, it will still not be strong enough to beat Curse of Dragon," he said, a serious look on his face.

Joey's smile grew bigger. "Oh, you just watch me, buddy. I'm not done yet," he said as the dice slowed down…

And landed on a 6.

"Yes!" Joey exclaimed, and looked at Yugi. "Sorry, Yugi, but this duel's over now".

Yugi narrowed his eyes at him. "You didn't…?" He asked, making Joey grin.

"You bet I did! I sacrifice Brigadier of Landstar, to summon Jinzo (ATK 2400/DEF 1500)!" Joey said, as he played the famous card.

"This duel is over, Yugi! Jinzo, attack Curse of Dragon!" Joey ordered, looking imperiously at Yugi, as the dragon was destroyed, and Yugi's life points falling to 0.

"I won!" Joey exclaimed, doing a little victory dance.

On the other side of the field, Yugi just looked down at his feet and pulled the duel disc back, looking like he was rather sad.

_**Tea, Tristan and Solomon:**_

"Poor Yugi. I have never seen him lose this fast. Actually, I have never seen him lose a quick-duel, period. And look at him, all sad now," Tea said, looking worried, as she saw Yugi with lowered head.

"Yeah, I wonder what's wrong with him. He's been acting weird lately, and now this," Tristan agreed.

Next to them, Solomon chuckled a bit. "Are you sure about that? Try to look closer at his face," the old man said, a little smile creeping onto his face.

Tristan and Tea did so, and what they discovered surprised them a little.

Yugi was smiling. Not his normal happy smile, but a sneaky, confident smile, and his eyes shone with hidden secrets.

"Yugi lost…on purpose," Tea whispered, not quite able to understand it.

"Yugi has never lost on purpose before. Is this some kind of plan?" Tristan whispered back. Again Solomon chuckled.

"I think so. Earlier, Yugi told me he had something to tell all of us. I think this little plan is part of it," Solomon explained.

The two teens didn't say anything. They just looked at the field, as Joey began the second round by playing Grappler of Landstar (ATK 1000/DEF 500) and ending his turn.

"Let's see…if I am right, Yugi is going to play a pretty decent monster right now, and possibly try to take out Grappler of Landstar, but I might be wrong… It could be that Yugi plans to lose this one too," Solomon whispered, mostly to himself, but Tea and Tristan heard it anyways.

Caught by the tension between the two friends engaged in the duel, they watched as Yugi played Horn Imp (ATK 1300/DEF 1000), before he activated Horn of Unicorn, raising its attack points by 700.

Expecting Yugi to wipe out Joey in a second, since Grappler now had half the attack points as Horn Imp, they got very surprised, when Yugi smiled at Joey and said, "It wouldn't be fair for me to attack you right away, Joey. So I think I'll end my turn here."

"Dude, are you stupid? You can TAKE DOWN Joey in a split second now, why are you ending your turn?" Tristan blurted out, earning him a stern glance from Tea, who then turned to Yugi with a confused look. In return, he just smiled.

"Oh, believe me, I'm not mad. This is all a part of my plan," Yugi said, his eyes shining, before he once more looked at the field.

Tea couldn't believe her own eyes. For a moment, just a fraction of a second, Yugi's eyes had glowed with a reddish hue, and they had looked smaller, pointier than they used to. Was she just seeing things? "Did you see that?" She whispered to the boy and the old man next to her.

"See what?" Tristan asked. Tea then shook her head.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw… something," she whispered.

While they had talked, Joey and Yugi had paid more attention to the time limit, and Joey had not only activated Landstar shot, giving Grappler of Landstar 600 extra attack points, he had also put Skull dice on the field, trying to pull through with another luck-attempt.

"Come on! A 6 or 5, 6 or 5! Preferably 6…" Joey chanted to himself.

The little audience shook their heads. As if _that_ little chant was going to be of any help for the blonde boy.

"He has to be _very_ lucky if he wants to win that way. And that dice better hurry up now, there's only 2 minutes left," Tristan said.

In that little moment, the dice began to slow down. It wobbled on its sides, fell a little one way, fell a little another way. For a few painfully long seconds, it was as if it was going to land on 3.

But it didn't.

It landed on 5.

"Yes!" Joey exclaimed.

"That, my friend… is the physical definition of sheer. Dumb. Luck," Tristan said to Joey, making Joey curse his best friend to the deepest places of hell. Tristan just laughed.

"Even though I think this is amazing," Tea said as Joey commanded Grappler to attack, leaving Yugi with only 100 life points left, "I feel sad to know that Yugi could've won even before Joey got to do anything".

"It's all part of his plan, whatever it is. But either way, he's lost this little 'tournament' or whatever you call it. Joey has won two matches, though Yugi has lost on purpose both times. I wonder what he's up to," Solomon mumbled.

"Yeah, I wonder, too. What is his little plan?" Tea said out loud.

Yugi looked up at them all at this, a big smile on his face.

"All right, everybody! Riddle time!" Yugi said cheerfully.

"Riddle time?" Tristan, Joey, Tea and Solomon all asked. What was the boy talking about?

Yugi grinned.

_**Atem:**_

"_That's my cue,"_ Atem thought, and grinned as Yugi moved out of the way, and let him take control of the body.

_~Let's give them the shock of their lives, shall we?~_ Yugi asked, as they quickly moved past each other.

Atem couldn't help but grin even wider at this. _~When did you become this wonderfully devious?~_ he asked as he gave Yugi his silent approval of the idea.

_~About a year ago. Guess all the time I spent with you corrupted my mind~_ Yugi answered, and Atem had to try hard not to laugh as he looked at his confused friends.

"What riddle, Yugi? What are you talking about?" Joey asked confusedly.

Atem just shook his head. "Sorry, not telling you. The riddle is quite simple: who am I?" He said, enjoying the blank faces of his friends.

"Who am… what is that kind of a question? Have you gone mad, Yugi?" Joey asked, completely dumbfounded.

He shook his head again. "Figure out the riddle by the end of this duel. I promise, someday you'll all look back on this and laugh," he said, and a light chuckle escaped his lips.

Joey slowly shook his head. "Yeah… sure… let's get on with the duel!" He said.

Atem smiled. "With pleasure," he said, as the third and final duel began.

Atem silently watched, as Joey put Little Winguard (ATK 1400/DEF 1800) on the field before ending his turn. However, he had a somewhat excited look in his eyes, and Atem instantly knew Joey must have some really good cards on his hand.

"_I better be careful this turn. Let's see… ah, yes. This'll do for now. Let's hope I get the right card next turn,"_ Atem thought while looking through his cards.

"Okay, I begin with setting Giant Soldier of Stone (ATK 1300/DEF 2000)," he said, and put the card on the field. "And then I set Celtic Guardian (ATK 1400/DEF 1200) and Beaver Warrior (ATK 1200/DEF 1500). I put them all in defense mode and end my turn!"

Atem smiled as a well-known feeling surged through his body. Excitement, adrenaline, joy and much more… it was the feeling of standing in a duel once more. And he loved it.

From his mind, he heard Yugi chuckle. _~Feels pretty good, doesn't it?~_ Yugi asked.

Atem couldn't help but nod and say out loud, "I've missed this feeling so much."

The others looked at him with puzzled expressions. He just laughed at them. "Sorry, not telling you!" He almost sang. Yes, he enjoyed confusing them, but he deserved a bit of fun. He had, after all, been surrounded by endless darkness for almost a year. There was nothing fun to do in that place.

They all shook their heads at him, though he heard Tristan whispered, "What is wrong with him, today?" Atem glanced at them, and saw Tea was shaking her head, and looking at him intently. He smiled.

She was going to figure it out.

Meanwhile, Joey had decided to step into action again.

"Enough chit chat, time's running. And I know how to use that time. By sacrificing Little Winguard to activate Dark Dragon Ritual, I Ritual Summon Knight of Dark Dragons (ATK 1900/DEF 1200)!" Joey said.

Atem looked at the knight in front of him, a little smile on his lips. _"Here it comes… 3, 2, 1…"_ he thought.

"But that's not all. Beware, because I sacrifice Knight of Dark Dragons, to summon the Red-Eyes Black Dragon (ATK 2400/DEF 2000)!" Joey said, smiling at his near triumph, as the dragon stood in front of him, mouth open and ready to attack.

"And guess what? I order it to attack Giant Soldier of Stone!" And the dragon did, though nothing happened to Atem, as the monster was in defense mode.

Atem smiled. "I knew it!" He said when the dust after the attack had fallen. His eyes shone with excitement at the thrill of being in a duel, and he laughed with joy. "It's been ages since I had this much fun!"

The others just looked at him like he had gone mad, but he shook it off as he drew a card. And got even more excited. He smiled. "This duel is over!" Atem said, his eyes glinting.

"Oh, yeah? Then come on, show me what you've got. Drew a good card?" Joey taunted, sparked by his joy and excitement.

"You bet I did! I drew Black Chaos Ritual!" Atem replied, and laughed even harder than before, when Joey's face fell, and he began sweating.

"You wouldn't…"Joey said, but Atem just nodded with a grin.

"I sacrifice Beaver Warrior and Celtic Guardian to summon the mighty Magician of Black Chaos (ATK 2800/DEF 2600)!" Atem yelled.

Joey took a step back at the sight of the magician. Atem could see it in his friend's eyes. He was screwed. Atem smiled.

"It's over, Joey. Magician of Black Chaos: attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Atem ordered.

A few seconds, and the thud from a fainted Joey, later the duel was over.

Atem had won.

_**Tea:**_

Alongside Tristan and Solomon, Tea cheered when Yugi won the last duel. He had snuck up on Joey, and pulled through in the last second. However, something had her frowning.

That riddle Yugi had told them. What was the point behind it? And _why_ did he decide to tell them a riddle in the first place? It didn't make any sense.

Yugi and Joey shook hands in the middle of the field when the duel was over.

"That was awesome, dude! Great duel," Joey said, drying a bit of sweat off his forehead. Yugi just smiled before he looked up and discovered Tea looking at him.

Tea sent him a friendly smile, before she froze in place.

This time there was no doubt about it. Yugi's eyes _did_ have a faint reddish hue over them, and they shone in a completely different way. More confident, more imperiously, more like… like… _"No. Way,"_ Tea thought.

"So what about my riddle? Did you figure it out?" Yugi asked, making all of them look at him with confused eyes. It seemed like Joey, Tristan and Solomon had completely forgotten about the riddle.

"Oh yeah, that riddle. Dude, what's the point behind it. 'Who am I' seems too thin. There must be more behind it than that, right?" Joey asked.

Yugi just shook his head and chuckled lightly. He was about to say something, but he was cut off.

"He's not Yugi," Tea said, her voice completely calm, though she was close to glomping the boy in front of her because she was so happy.

"Wha… he's not?" Joey said, and took a step away from "Yugi", who smiled widely at Tea.

"Then who am I, Tea?" He asked in a cheerful way.

Tea smiled back. "You're the one who was missing but returned home. Honestly, I'm a little surprised none of you guys discovered it," she said and went to hug "Yugi".

She felt "Yugi's" arms around her shoulders, something she'd dreamed of long ago.

At that time it had been the embrace of a boyfriend. Now, it was that of a loving brother.

When they parted, she had a single tear in the left eye.

"Welcome back, Atem," she said.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_ **So that's it for this time. (Put's on safety-gear.) Okay, I ready for the flames/murder attempts!

Last minute funny-info: You know what I love about writing a fanfic? The research part! To get more info on a specific subject from the story you're writing a bout, you just have to get the movie/book/all the manga's from the series you haven't read yet!

That's right. i went to the library a few day ago, and got a bunch of Yu-gi-oh manga's. To be precise, from book 14 to 35! And because I'm sick, I have to rest a lot. (Leans back in a comfy chair with a pile of books by my side.) Let the research begin!

**_Read this:_**Are anyone of you familiar with Hetalia: Axis Powers? That anime/manga where the world's countries are represented by humans? You see, over on DeviantArt, there's so many great fanfic writers too, especially for Hetalia, and one of them took requests. So I thought, what the heck, and made a request for a story with Una and Japan! And guess what? She wrote it! And it's great!

Her name's **starrocket12**, and the story is called (request) JapanXOC Una Yamagawa. Yes, Una's not paired with Yugi, but it is still very worth your time if you read it. She caught Una's personality perfectly, and if The Crystal Items: Pendulum, weren't a slow progressing story, the plot of the fic could easily fit into this. So please read it!

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks:<em>**Today I want to thank all of my patient readers, for putting up with this massive delay in updates. This story wouldn't be the same without you, thanks!

_**Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, SerenePanic, The Queen of Water, ThunderNinjaBird, xxxPureRosexxx, Scaevola2, Crystalbird1769.** _Probably those of my readers, who's the most patient. I thank all of you for commenting on my work, and sticking with this so far.

_**Lila:** _A guest reviewer! Thank you for your nice reviews! I hope you liked this chapter, now that I actually updated.

All of you deserve so much more than a cookie, but it's all I've got for the moment.

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><p>Happy summer!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	22. The adventure begins

_**A/N:** _Behold, I am back! Nice and relaxed from my vacation, and ready with a new longer chapter :)

I'm not feeling like writing a long AN today (not that I ever do) so I'll skip my rambling today, and let you get on with the story.

**_Disclaimer:_**Nordic Twin owns nothing but plot and OC's. Any stealing of these important factors, will result in a punishment involving The Crystal Pendulum and **_?_**who's real identity is known to me.

Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>The adventure begins<strong>_

_**Atem:**_

"Atem…?Wait, what?" Joey exclaimed, causing a grin to spread on Atem's face as he looked at his friends' shocked expressions.

"Hello, Joey," he said, smiling as the boy paled. "Are you okay?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, 'm perfectly… fine…" Joey said, his voice shaking, before he fainted again.

Atem laughed out loud. He couldn't help it. "I guess that means our little plan worked," he managed to choke out between laughs. In his mind, he heard Yugi, too, was howling with laughter.

"Plan? What plan?" Tea asked while Tristan tried to get Joey to wake up. Again.

"Well, you see, Yugi and I wanted to give you the shock of your lives. I'm sorry, but we couldn't resist!" Atem said, still laughing, as Joey slowly opened his eyes.

"Got that right…" Joey mumbled and stood. "So was this your idea or his?"

"Actually, it was Yugi's. A brilliant idea, if you ask me," Atem said, as he finally stopped laughing.

_~Thank you~_ Yugi said, his tone overly proud, faking an English accent. Atem couldn't help but chuckle.

"But…how?" Solomon asked, looking confused.

Atem smiled at the older man. "I think you should let Yugi explain that," he said before closing his eyes and letting Yugi take control of the body once more.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi wasn't one to usually miss when one of his friends was in a bad mood. Thus he discovered that Atem had suddenly gone into a bit of a melancholic mood the second they switched places. But it was quite obvious for him, due to the new ability they'd gotten. At the time, though, he decided to let it go.

The second the others discovered Yugi was back in his body, they began asking all sorts of questions.

"How long has he been back?" "How did it happen?" "What's going on?" "Is it something with the Millennium Items?"

Yugi took a step back and sweat dropped. He had an idea that this was how Una had felt when she had been bombarded with questions. "Calm down, guys, I'll explain as soon as we get inside, all right?" Yugi said, holding his hands up in a calming gesture. From the crystal, he felt that Atem too, was taken aback by the many questions.

_~Dear Ra, I think we're in for a bit of an interrogation~_Atem said, and Yugi nodded as they went back inside. Tea noticed this.

"Mind link?" she asked. Yugi nodded. "We're going to experience you going quiet like this much more often now, right?" she asked, and Yugi laughed and nodded again, as he sat down in a chair in his living room.

"Let me guess: this is why you've been acting weird all week," Joey said, as he too sat down with a confident look on his face, which disappeared when Yugi shook his head.

"Nope, not at all. Atem returned last night," Yugi said earning him stunned looks from his friends.

"Last night? Holy cow, how did it happen?" Joey exclaimed.

Yugi sighed and went into a serious mode. "Well, you see, we don't know exactly_how_it happened, but to make a long story short, I woke up in my mind room, found a new door in there, and Atem was behind it. We talked, and suddenly I got surrounded by light, and Atem by smoke. And when I woke up again, I had this around my neck," he explained, and pulled out the purple crystal, which he had hidden under his shirt.

While Tristan, Solomon and Joey just stared at the crystal, Tea carefully reached out and touched it, only to pull her hand away quickly, wincing.

"What happened, are you okay?" Yugi asked feeling concerned.

"I'm fine, but it shocked me. What is it?" Tea said, shaking the hand that had gotten shocked.

Yugi frowned. _~You shocked her?~_he asked, mentally shaking his head.

_~Eh, ha-ha… sorry… I didn't know it was Tea… I reacted by instinct…or… something… __I think…~_Atem laughed sheepishly. Yugi sighed and shook his head again, this time physically.

Yugi looked at his friends, who eyed him curiously, though they didn't ask what was wrong. They were used to Yugi's strange behavior from the last time Atem had been with him, but it still made them curious about what he could be talking with the spirit about.

"Sorry about that. You see, Atem lives in this crystal now, and he's quite protective about it. Apparently, he acted by… instinct, and shocked you," Yugi explained. _"Or stupidity,"_ he added mentally.

_~I heard that, you know!~_ Atem yelled, but Yugi ignored him, causing the spirit to grumble something about youth and no respect, like an old man.

"Wait…you mean like with the puzzle? Is this something like that?" Tristan asked, but Yugi shook his head.

"No. Atem and I experimented with it this morning, and as far as I know, it's nothing like it. I think… it's a part of my soul, combined with Atem. And I think all of this is connected to the dreams I've been having," Yugi said, his voice lowering to a whisper at the last part.

The look the others gave him was that of confusion, and Yugi sighed.

"I guess I have to come clean, and tell you why I've been acting strange all month. But it's a long story, and it might sound crazy," Yugi said.

Joey snorted. "Crazy? Yugi, after all we've been through, you honestly think that there's something in this world that's _not_crazy?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to believe that the only thing predictable is the unpredictable, and that nothing is impossible," Tea said, smiling.

"You mean like you getting with Rich boy?" Joey teased. In response, Tea threw a pillow at him.

Yugi chuckled a bit before drawing a big breath and beginning his tale.

_**Atem:**_

Atem's curiosity was stirred when Yugi mentioned his dreams. Even though Yugi had told him a bit about them, the boy had talked in circles and cut out major details. But now he was apparently going to hear the whole story.

Atem looked at Yugi through the mirror, as the boy began telling about the first one of his dreams.

"In the first dream I've had, I'm standing on the bank of a river with a young woman, and I am holding her hands. Her hair is golden, but I can't see her eyes. They're hidden under her hair," Yugi explained, Atem feeling his friends mind drifting off as he remembered the dream.

"_It does feel strangely familiar, though. That girl… eyes hidden by golden hair…"_ Atem thought, while Yugi explained that he thought they might be somewhere in Egypt, and she kept calling him "my Lord", while he called her by sweet nicknames. "By the Nile, oh my most beloved…" Atem whispered, suddenly feeling very far away, as something forgotten tugged at his memory.

He was pulled from his strange daze when Yugi said, "At the end of that dream, I am always lifting her chin to make her look at me, but then I wake up. It's very strange, because somehow… somehow I just know they're beautiful, and that I long to see them."

Atem shook his head, as that sentence also felt very familiar. _"What's happening to me? Usually I'm not one for drifting off like that,"_he thought, though he couldn't shake off that annoying feeling of déjà vu.

Tea asked what had been in the following dreams, as Yugi explained he had had this particular dream up until recently.

"Well…this is where Atem somehow gets into the picture," Yugi said, once again making Atem curious, though he clearly remembered this. It could only be that time he had finally been able to reach his light and protect it. He smiled, glad that he could now protect Yugi properly, and not from that dark, cold place, where he could hardly do anything.

"But it is also where I tell you about my visions," Yugi suddenly said, startling them all.

Atem immediately began guarding Yugi's mind with a protection spell he, fortunately, still was capable of using. He remembered Yugi had mentioned something about visions earlier, and that something had given him a headache whenever he tried to talk about them. That wasn't going to happen again, he was going to make sure of that.

So Yugi started telling again. Telling about the girl from his dreams, now appearing in a vision, where she showed him some kind of crystallized dust.

"I swear it was the same dust as Emi mentioned. The Dust of Dreams. And the girl from my dreams… She talked about dangers, and permanent changes to the victim of this dust. Falling into a long sleep… It's all connected," Yugi said, partly mumbling to himself, as he touched his head. Not out of pain, he had sent his deepest thanks to Atem for that, but because this mystery confused him deeply.

Atem, on the other hand, couldn't help but think that what Yugi was telling seemed all too familiar to him.

"The Pendulum… so much power… I love you anyways…" he whispered. He could all but feel _her_in his arms.

Atem shook his head again. Where did those thoughts come from? Could what Yugi had dreamed be… no that was impossible. But knowing their situation, nothing was impossible.

"Of course, at the end of that day came the new dream. I was in a temple of some sort, in the middle of the night. The girl… she was kneeling in front of an altar. Crying, singing, sacrificing… a grey drop formed crystal, which came out of her in some strange way," Yugi whispered, pain seeping through his voice.

"Sacrificing?" Solomon asked, and Yugi nodded.

"To be precise, she said, '_Oh great Gods of life and death. Please have mercy with me, as I am soon to be banned to the world of death. Spare those I love, and those who seek to harm me. If I am to die, then let nobody else suffer. I accept my curse, and I accept my fate. That is my prayer, this is my sacrifice_,'" Yugi quoted, a serious look on his face once more.

Atem felt as if he had been struck by lightning. It couldn't be… he remembered that night all too well. Everything, except _her_face. But how was it possible…? He had to restrain himself from screaming with pain and heartache when Yugi continued to tell.

"Then she sang and a grey teardrop shaped crystal appeared in a flash of bright light. She said '_With this crystal, I offer to you my only soul. It is tainted by my former deeds, but it is all I have of worth to give you. Please accept this,'_ and the mysterious crystal began to disappear. Subconsciously, my dream self knew she would die soon," Yugi explained.

That was the last chance for Atem to remain silent. Pain shot through his body at the memory. The memory of a girl he once loved, but had forgotten because of that blasted puzzle. A painful memory, a love filled memory. The memory of his most precious one, who was taken from him, while he just sat there, unable to do a thing.

He screamed.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi had throughout his tale felt different emotions from Atem. Mostly pain and sadness, but now…

He cringed at the loudness of Atem's silent scream in his mind, and clutched his head again. Unable to control anything, he opened his mouth, and Atem screamed through him, as the spirit took control for a moment. He didn't do anything. He just let out a loud, agonized scream.

_~My Love, my precious jewel! How dare they take her away from me? How dare they hurt her? Revenge! Murderers! I'll make them pay for that!~_ Atem screamed, when Yugi once more had taken control of his body.

_~Atem, calm down! My head!~_ Yugi yelled back, feeling slightly dizzy from the pain.

Shortly after, Atem calmed down again. Yugi could sense his embarrassment, but told him not to think about it. He did, though, make sure that the spirit knew he wanted an explanation for this strange behavior. To that, Atem didn't say a thing; he just went back to feeling pain, and downright _loss_.

"Is he okay?" Tea asked, concerned.

Yugi shrugged. He had no idea what was wrong with the spirit.

After a few seconds in silence, Yugi began telling about how he had interfered with the girl, causing her to attack him. He told about how her eyes had been two golden orbs, tainted by darkness, and how she had looked at herself with disgust, until she became cold as ice.

"It was terrifying. Her eyes… they were so cold… so filled with pain. And the worst has yet to come," Yugi whispered, clearly remembering that part of the dream.

In the other seat, Joey was shivering. "Are you telling me that there's _more_to that freakish dream? God, how did you survive?" he asked.

"I almost didn't," Yugi said, causing Joey to pale and sweat drop.

"In the dream, I proclaimed that I loved her, and told her how I knew she loved me, too. After that, the scene changed, and I was suddenly surrounded by darkness, with the girl in front of me. And this is where it gets very strange and dangerous," he said.

He told them she had split into two different girls. One crying and wanting to let him go, the other one angry and wanting… to change his mind and put him into what she had called eternal slumber.

"I'm pretty sure it meant that I would drift into a coma, just like Emi, but forever. I have never been so scared in my life," Yugi said, his voice lowering to a whisper once more.

"That's horrible!" Tea exclaimed, while the men just nodded.

"The worst part is, that it wasn't just a dream," Yugi said, still whispering.

The others looked at him confusedly, while Yugi just removed his leather bracelets and showed them the thin lines from the string of fortune, which were still on his wrists.

"What on Earth is that?" Solomon asked, as he lightly gripped Yugi's wrist, examining the marks, and Yugi winced in pain. They still stung pretty badly.

"In the dream, the girl who wanted to hurt me had that strange pendulum Emi told us about, and from that came these strange strings. She called them "the strings of fortune", which Emi also told us about before she lost consciousness. They wrapped themselves around me, holding me in place so she could cover me in some kind of strange dust. And she would have succeeded, had it not been for Atem," Yugi explained, as he drew his hand back.

At this, Atem showed a bit of interest again. He too remembered that part of the dream. Though he hadn't known Yugi was hurt. Yugi sensed the concern from the spirit, but told him it was nothing.

"See, just as I was about to get hit by that strange dust, something got to me, and shielded me from it, and set me free from the bonds. The same strange power scared the girl, and she took hold of the crying girl, and they ran off. After that I woke up with the marks on my hands," Yugi said, ending his tale, adding that in the following dreams, he had only seen the crying girl, who kept asking for him to forgive her.

"So much pain in her voice… I wonder who she is," Yugi mumbled, mostly to himself.

After a few seconds in silence, someone finally spoke. "Why don't we find out?"

Yugi looked towards the voice, and saw that it was Tea who had spoken. She was smiling confidently.

"Find out what?" Tristan asked, voicing what all the males were thinking.

"You said you're always in Egypt in your dreams and visions, correct?" Tea asked. Yugi nodded. "Then you might find it interesting that I have been keeping contact with the Ishtars. I receive letters from Ishizu quite often. Maybe they can help us find out something about this pendulum," Tea smiled.

They all pretty much jaw dropped at this news, earning them an amused chuckle from Tea.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Yugi asked, trying to pull himself together. Tea shrugged.

"We mostly talk about everyday life and other unimportant things. But I think she'll be able to help us a lot. So, what do you say?" Tea said, looking at the boys, and holding her hand out.

Yugi smiled. "I think we should get this adventure started," he said, joining Tea.

In his mind, Atem applauded the idea and showed himself placing his hand on top of the others'.

"No one hurts my friends and gets away with it. Count me in," Joey said, clenching his fist in eagerness, and adding his hand to the group.

"The same goes for me," Tristan said, mimicking the others.

Solomon just nodded, letting the young people have their adventure.

Yugi smiled.

"And so, the adventure begins."

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><p><strong><em>AN:_ **Cliché end of chapter is cliché (and seen before). Atem heartbroken and in pain is not cool, and Joey fainting is the funniest thing on Earth. Long parts of explaining and informations the readers already know is boring to write/read, but important. Please forgive me...

Still not feeling like writing a long A/N. might be because it's late and I need to go to bed soon. Oh well...

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks: <em>**

**Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, SerenePanic, Scaevola2, The Queen of Water, xxxPureRosexxx, Crystalbird1769, ThunderNinjaBird, **and a new "face" on the review page: **anna the viking XD.**

A little edit from last time: you are my most _impatient _readers, but I still thank you for putting up with me for these past few updates. The next will probably be with you pretty soon too, as I'm almost finished with the next one. And because I feel like being nice, or evil if you think of it that way, I'll tell you a little about it:

The next chapter will be another three parter, and feature Marik! So Marik/Malik fangirls, get ready!

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><p><strong><em>See you all next chapter!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	23. Conversations: part one

_**A/N:** _What did I say _yesterday_? Hm? Didn't I say the next chapter would be out soon? (Dances with joy.) I bet you didn't guess it was only a matter of mere lines of text, before it was ready. Ah haha! ;) It's good to be back with the faster updates. The fastest update in the history of The Crystal Items: Pendulum, I think.

Okay, honestly, even _I_ didn't expect to be able to update already. I have an awesome beta!

I'm back to my talkative self again, so why not tell you about how this three parter is going to be?

This is _not _something I write in replacement of the "Mornings" three parter I said I wanted to write after "Evenings". Oh, nononono. I will write that eventually. But I've been dying to write this for 5 chapters since, and that is quite a long time. Plus, though I hate to admit it, writing about Yugi and Atem mostly talking was beginning to get _very _annoying. So for now, I'm giving myself a bit of a break, by writing something a little different.

We're going to start out with Pegasus talking on the phone with a certain OC, and later with some old friends. Then the next in the line, are Kaiba talking with Una. And last, but not least, comes Yugi and Atem. I hope you'll enjoy it.

**_Disclaimer: _**I own nothing but OC's and plot.

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><p><em><strong>Conversations: Pegasus<strong>_

_**Pegasus:**_

Pegasus was lazily sitting in a chair in his hotel room. It was blazing hot outside. Granted, it was always hot in Egypt, but on that particular day, even the locals admitted it was especially hot. So he had called off the search through the ruins for the day, letting his team of experts have a day trying to cool off, before they would once more begin the search, during the night. There was just a little catch to it…

Being ever the socialite and a bit of a man for adventures, Pegasus was bored out of his mind. It was too hot to do anything.

This was why the young billionaire just sat there, a book in his lap, but he was more or less asleep. He was listening to the light humming of various insects and the buzz from the AC, the sounds making him drowsy. While a part of him enjoyed this laziness quite a bit, he was silently wishing for something to happen.

A car crash, a sudden thunderstorm, even one of those annoying tabloid journalists bursting through his door.

Something, anything!

"_Maybe I should say to hell with the boredom and just take a nap,"_ the white haired man thought, feeling himself slowly drifting off to the land of dreams. This, however, was hindered when his earlier wish was fulfilled.

His phone rang.

Slowly reaching out for the technical device, a minor part of him cursing the disturbance, he clicked the little receive button and said, "Hello," while trying to stifle a yawn.

"**Uncle, is that you?" **A little voice asked.

Pegasus immediately perked up at the sound of the voice, all thoughts of sleep forgotten, and he answered excitedly, "Why hello, my little sugar muffin! How are you doing on this fine day? Or should I say evening?"

The voice on the other end giggled and said, **"Yes, it's about 8:30 pm here. And I am doing fine, except that **_**he**_** ate home today… but Mama's here too, so it doesn't matter too much. Just as long as **_**he**_** stays away."**

Pegasus couldn't help but shake his head at the caller's eagerness, at the thought of some person staying away. But her mother was home? That was special news. "Marie's home for a while? How lovely! How is she doing? And how's your darling sister?" he asked, interested in hearing news from his little niece.

"**Mama's doing fine, you should see some of the pictures she's taken, they're gorgeous. And Onee-chan is doing better than ever. Well, she had to go to the hospital earlier this week, but that's understandable, with her condition and all. But otherwise, she's doing very well,"** the little girl said.

Pegasus smiled lovingly. "That's wonderful, Sweetling. Now, what is the reason as to why you decided to give your dear uncle a call?" he asked.

On the other end, there was silence for a few moments, but he waited patiently.

Pegasus wasn't stupid or oblivious. He knew that the only time his nieces would call him, was when something really troubled them. If it wasn't important, mostly just the need for a little chat with him, they would send him e-mails or even letters once in a while.

"**A reason? Do I absolutely have to have a reason to call you? Honestly, Uncle,"** the girl on the other end said, though he voice was shaking a bit.

He frowned. Putting on the role of an extra parent, his voice got serious and he said, "Stop playing the fool, Little Miss. I know you have a very important reason to call me, or you would've just sent me an e-mail. So what is it?"

He was me with silence once more, but when he didn't get a reply after a little while, he added in a softer voice, "It's all right, you can tell me. I won't get mad or freak out. Just get it off your chest. Maybe I can help".

There was silence for a few more moments. Then it came quietly from the other end: **"It's my birthday next Saturday."**

Pegasus lightly slapped himself, as he had almost forgotten this important date. "That's right, Cupcake. And what a happy and wonderful day it'll be," he said cheerfully, expecting her to laugh with joy about this, and start gushing about how excited she was. However, that didn't happen.

"…**Will it?"** The girl said, hesitating, as if she didn't believe this to be a fact.

Pegasus frowned. "Of course it will, my darling. Why shouldn't it?" he asked, concerned.

"**Well, it's the day I'm finally introduced to the public world. It's finally over with the hiding, and Onee-chan always going to events alone, and me staying behind waiting,"** she said, her voice shaking a bit.

Pegasus' frown deepened. "Then what is the problem? You've always said you couldn't wait to finally help out your sister, and get to be in on all the "fun", so I really don't get why…" he said, but was cut off when the girl on the other end let out a high pitched-

"**I'M SCARED, UNCLE!"**

Pegasus rubbed his ear and held the phone away from his ear for a few moments, while his niece continued to panic in that same high pitched voice.

"**I am so, sooo scared! What if I mess up? I mean, I am going to present myself… on a stage. In front of the world press. With no one to support me, Onee-sama's not allowed to help me, **_**and**_** I have to make a good impression!"** She almost screamed.

Pegasus sighed, though the girl couldn't hear it, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hana…" he tried to say, when he finally put the phone back to his ear, only to find out she hadn't heard him, and was still panicking.

"**What if I fall of the stage? Or forget what to say? Or make a fool out of myself? Oh God, oh God, oh God! And I…"**

"HANABI C. YAMAGAWA! CALM DOWN!" Pegasus yelled, making her stop midsentence, giving him room to talk.

He took a deep breath and let it out, before he spoke to her in a calm and even voice. "Tell me, Little Darling: what is it that you're so scared about?"

He could hear her quick breathing through the phone, but otherwise, Hana was silent. After a little while, she whispered, **"I'm scared of never having a little bit of peace again, of the big crowds, of…of… of everything. And I'm going to be there all alone… on my birthday."**

Pegasus frowned again. "What do you mean, Sweetheart?" he asked, as Hana sounded like she was on the verge of crying.

"**The company… that blasted company that… **_**that man**_** thinks is so much more important than his own family… he's going to host a big event to promote his new deal with Kaiba Corp… to save time and money,"** Hana said, her voice breaking into sobs.

Pegasus felt cold as ice, not knowing how to react, as his little niece…his _darling_ baby niece was crying, because her father, the man who should care for her happiness the most, had decided to be so egoistic.

Hanabi continued to cry as she said, **"So it really doesn't matter that I get my big moment of introduction… be… because it will… it will all be overshadowed by… by… by that **_**stupid, jackass…**_** who cares more about power and… and money… than his own…"**

Pegasus had experienced much pain in his life, but he was willing to bet that it was the most painful for him to hear his youngest niece cry like that. Hanabi rarely showed any negative emotions, so hearing her cry utterly broke is heart, and he was filled with longing to hold her and comfort her.

"_How dare that bastard! He is amongst the lowest scoundrels to ever walk this planet… I told Marie, but nooo. He loves kids, she said. He will be a great father, she said. Great father my…!"_ Pegasus thought angrily, just thinking of his nieces' father.

"**Uhuuuu…waaah… *hic*… huuu… *sniffle*,"** Hanabi continued to cry, until Pegasus finally had enough, and without hesitation said, "You're not going to be alone on your big day, Hana." His voice was determined and confident.

Hanabi sniffled for a little while, but her crying died into small sobs. **"I'm…I'm not?"** She asked, and he could hear her wipe her nose.

Pegasus shook his head, though she couldn't see it. "No, you're not. Okay, now you listen very well to me, got it? Here's what we're going to do…"he said, engaging her in his little plan.

He could almost hear the widening of her eyes when she said, **"Seriously? You'll do that for me?"** Her voice was happier, still a little hoarse from the crying, but she was getting better.

"Of course I'll do it, you're my darling niece. I'd do anything for you," he cooed.

He could easily hear the big smile she had on her face when he added, "And you bet your sister is going to do something similar. I swear, if I wasn't here, she'd spoil you senseless."

It was much to his happiness when he heard her giggle sweetly and say, **"Thanks, Uncle Pegasus!"**

He smiled. "Anything for you, Pumpkin. Now, it's getting late for you. Why don't you scoot off to bed?" he said, knowing she still needed lots of sleep.

It amused him to hear her slightly offended reply about her not being a little kid, when she was cut off by another person taking the phone from her, saying into it, **"Trust me, she'll be sleeping in minutes, or else…!"**

His smiled widened and laughed. "I'm sure she will, Una-darling. And good night to you, too," he said, still laughing.

"**Nighty night, uncle,"** the two girls replied at once before they hung up.

Pegasus chuckled as he put his phone down again. Trust Una to threaten Hana to go to bed, though it wasn't necessary. Hanabi had never had trouble falling asleep; it was more the art of waking up that was her problem.

Speaking of sleeping, Pegasus hadn't forgotten his previous plans about a nice little nap, and apparently, it hadn't forgotten him either, as he yawned and sat back in his chair.

"_Just for half an hour or so…"_ he thought.

And thus, _"or so"_ became four hours.

_**Later that evening.**_

"Mr. Pegasus, Mr. Pegasus!" an archaeologist yelled frantically as he ran towards the tent the rich man was staying in.

"What it is?" Pegasus asked, not looking at the exhausted expert while putting the last finishing touches on a new magic card.

"We… we've found… _it_…" the man gasped, as he was desperately trying to catch his breath.

This sparked Pegasus' attention, and he looked up. "_It_… you mean you actually managed to find _it_?" he asked, not believing his own ears.

The archaeologist nodded, and Pegasus felt an excited smile creep onto his face. They had found _it_; they had really found their way to _it_! He had almost lost hope in the possibilities of finding _it_.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way!" Pegasus said cheerfully. The man nodded and disappeared seconds after.

Looking over his shoulder, Pegasus smiled at the little group of people in the corner on the ground. They all had tan skin, but otherwise looked different, though two of them looked like siblings.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked expectantly. He felt like he needed to hear their opinions.

The first one was a young boy with long sand-blonde hair, wearing many golden bracelets and arm rings, big earrings, golden neckwear, and gold chains fastened on his white, sleeveless shirt and black pants. If his eyes had been open, one would have seen them to be a light purple. He was lying on the sand, arms behind his head. He appeared to be sleeping.

The other was a woman with long black hair, over which she wore a white cloth held in place by a gold band, and a pair of stunning blue eyes. She was a little smaller than the boy, but you could still see she was older than him, maybe his older sister. She was wearing a light grey dress with red markings following the bottom of the dress, the neckline, and the end of the sleeves. Though the sleeves, as well as the dress itself, were long, the dress wasn't too warm for her to wear because it was airy and she could make holes near the shoulders by unclasping a few buttons. She sat still by a table, looking through a pile of documents.

The last one was a man, taller than both of the others. He was almost bald, except for a long ponytail, muscular, and with a strange tattoo covering part of his face. Due to this one might find him scary at first, but after a single look into his eyes, you wouldn't think that anymore, as his eyes were a welcoming color of light yellowish brown, and filled with gentleness. He was wearing a simple set of loose black pants, and a loose sand-colored shirt.

He stood, holding a little white cat in his arms.*

"Well, if you ask me, it's far too dangerous to retrieve _it_. Who knows what you'll set free upon the world?" the white haired boy asked, though he smiled at the thought of something new and exciting happening.

"I happen to know the answer to that question, Marik," the woman replied, as she put down one of the documents before picking up a new one. "Absolutely nothing of your interest," she said when she noticed he had opened his eyes and was looking at her.

Marik pouted then huffed. "You're just saying that to keep me away from the adventures, Ishizu," he said.

"No, I'm saying it to keep you out of _trouble_," Ishizu replied, laughing a little at his annoyed expression. Odion just smiled and pet the cat.

Ishizu looked at Pegasus with calm eyes. "But, honestly, nothing seriously dangerous is going happen if you get _it_. And I wouldn't be surprised if the boy will be very happy to get it back," she said, a knowing look in her eyes.

Pegasus laughed. "Then I'll take that as your permission to retrieve it from the hidden depths. I thank you, Miss Ishtar, along with your honorable brothers," he said, bowing like a gentleman.

Ishizu just sent him a little smile, before she went back to her work, Marik lifted his hand in a lazy wave, and Odion put the cat back in its travelling cage before following Pegasus to the crypt, making sure nothing went wrong.

In a cold and dark place under the Earth, only known by a couple of people, a tomb is hidden. For thousands of years, it had only been known to the equally well-hidden families of grave keepers, until fate willed it that a boy would be destined to save the world and help a pharaoh with neither name nor memory, by completing a special treasure, and collect the others like it.

That treasure was what Pegasus was after.

_It_ was lying in front of him, shining though there wasn't any light near _it_, and in awe, he just stared at _it_ for a few seconds.

Slowly, he went to pick _it_ up, and he felt an enormous power surge through his body as his hand came in contact with the cold metal.

Pegasus smiled as he examined _it_, before he let out a light laugh. "Yugi-boy will be very surprised when I give _it_ to him. _It_ is his after all," he said, before he turned around and let the tomb be hidden once more, never to be found again.

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><p><strong>*I have absolutely no reason as to why Odion brought a cat, except that I <strong>_**LOVE**_** cats, and to me, the Ishtars seems like cat-people, and Odion as the type to bring the family's beloved pet with him. ****And c'mon… it's funny!**

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _So that's it for this time guys. Give me a few days to write the next chapter, and then I'll get back to all of you ;) And don't kill me for making Hana cry, please. You need me to write the next chapters!

Speaking of Hana, here's a little info on her character:

You see, I've always pictured Hana as the type to a "Daddy's girl", being adored and a bit spoiled. But Hoshi is not the family type, as we all know and hate him for, and it has always occured to me, that if Pegasus had any daughters, he would do exactly that. Spoil and love them to death. So whenever Hana, or Una for that matter, needs a bit of fatherly advise, help or comforting, they turn to their beloved godfather: "Uncle Pegasus". And he enjoys it to the fullest.

(I know that if you do a bit of math and try to figure out how old Pegasus was when Una was born, the answer is 8 years old. But what is his relationship with Una and Hana's mother Marie? I'll get into that subject in a later chapter.)

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><p><strong><em>Special<em>_ thanks: __The Queen of Water, Scaevola2, anna the viking XD, xxxPureRosexxx, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood,_ and_ Crystalbird1769._**

All of you, I love you so much, and I hope you will continue to support me through the times when finding the engergy/time to write will become difficult, because of school work... in about two weeks. (Why is my summer holiday this short?)

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><p>See you all next time!<p>

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	24. Conversations part 2

_**A/N:** _Nordic Twin is proud to present: Kaiba and Una dizzing each other! Also known as Conversations: part 2.

In this chapter I try to get a little closer to the love/hate relationship the two of them have. They're friends, but can't stand the each other for more than a few hours. Thus, priceless moments occur.

There will also be a bit of explaining as to why Una hate Hoshi, and it will be revealed what he planned with Gozaburo.

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

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><p><em><strong>Conversations: Kaiba and Una<strong>_

_**Takes place in chapter 14, after Yugi and Una have become friends again.**_

_**Kaiba:**_

Kaiba looked out of the window in his office, silently staring at the rain. The sky was a dark watery color, like ink mixed with water, only to be illuminated by the occasional flash of lightening.

He had been sitting there for an hour now, doing nothing but observing the storm.

Kaiba wasn't a man for relaxing, as he thought it was a waste of time. Heck, he hardly ever slept, because it took time from his work and studies. And yet here he was, just sitting in his chair and looking at a thunderstorm.

Why, do you ask?

Truth be told, Seto Kaiba had always thought that storms were beautiful. They calmed him in a way nothing else had been close to doing. Maybe it was because they reminded him of himself, powerful, dangerous, ready to strike at any moment… or maybe… maybe…

Maybe it was the sound of the rain hitting the roof, maybe it was the perfections of each thunderbolt, and maybe it was the deep rumbles of thunder in the distance…

"_Maybe I've just gone insane,"_ he thought, closed his eyes, and sighed. He really needed to get back to work. It was important. At least he tried to believe it was. In all honesty, he was just forcing himself to triple check the prints of the project Kaiba Corp. and Yama-Tech. Inc. were working on, though he knew it was spotless. But what else was there to do?

He had barely ended the thought before his secretary knocked on his door, before poking her head inside and saying, "Mr. Kaiba, a Miss Yamagawa is on the phone."

Kaiba sighed. The thought of lying and telling her he was busy crossed his mind, but he knew it wouldn't work, as Una was one of the reasons he had nothing to do. Damn her and her perfectionism, he didn't have to do anything. So he just said, "Let her through" and picked up the phone the second it rang.

"What do you want, Yamagawa?" he said in a bored tone, not caring if it was impolite.

"**Aww, that's harsh, Kaiba. Not happy to hear from me?" **Una said, faking a hurt tone.

"And why would I ever be happy to hear from you? Your voice is like a fork being drawn over a black board: hurting your ears and not something you want to hear again," he said, smirking when he heard her gasp, shocked. Perhaps he could have a little bit of fun anyways.

"**Why you son of a… I ought to beat you up, but I think I know what's going to hurt you more,"** Una said, her voice a bit angry, but smug and confident.

"No, please, I'd love to see you come over here, getting soaked, only to be beaten in a fair fight. You are, after all, only a girl," Kaiba said, still smirking.

"**Ha-ha. That was very funny, Kaiba. I almost forgot to laugh," **Una said sarcastically. He could almost hear her rolling her eyes, and chuckled a bit. This was fun, pissing her off. And even he needed a good laugh once in a while.

"Una Yamagawa? Actually laughing? Oh no, the apocalypse must be near," he said, hinting to the fact that she didn't laugh much, but chuckled, knowing she would break very soon.

And that she did, but not in the way he hoped for.

"**Do you want that **_**special **_**deal or not, Kaiba?" **She asked, her voice changed into that special voice, she was well known for in the IGA circle. That voice, where her anger was only just there, but poisonous enough to tell you, you shouldn't mess with her.

Kaiba immediately fell silent, as she added, **"Because I'm sitting with the contract, right here, and believe me, it won't take long for me to rip it apart, page by page. Ya hear me?" **Her tone had gotten colder than the rain outside as she threatened him.

He felt himself get colder. "You wouldn't dare, you need it as much as I do!" he said, trying to stay calm, but failing a bit. His heart was beating at a rapid pace in his chest, and his hands were clammy.

"**I wouldn't?" **Una asked, before the sound of paper being ripped apart reached his ears.

"NO!" Kaiba yelled, as he heard the precious paper was torn to pieces. "What have you done, Yamagawa? It was worth millions!" he yelled, as he knew he had lost that particular deal now.

Then, to his surprise, Una chuckled. **"That'll teach you not to mess with me when I call. That was a blank piece of paper I just tore,"** she said, her voice light and friendly, as she said: **"No, the real contract is safe and sound; as you said, I need it too, and everything looks all right. I'll fax it to you so you can sign it, and then we've got a deal"**.

First, he sighed with relief, followed by a confident smile, though he still couldn't believe Una would do this. "I'm happy we can sort out these sorts of things as civilized human beings, Yamagawa. However, I do have a question for you," he said, his voice turning hesitant and a bit insecure.

"**Sure, what is it?"** Una said, her curiosity clear in her light voice.

"Maybe I missed something important, but what's in it for you?" Kaiba asked, knowing Una was going behind her father's back with this particular deal.

"**What do you mean?"** Una asked, he could hear her shuffle with paper. She was without a doubt looking through the contract again, to check if she missed something.

"Well, according to the contract… you give, you literally_ give_ me 50% of Yama-Tech. Inc.," he said, as he looked through the copy on his desk.

"**That I do. Why is that so strange?"** Una asked, her voice neutral, as if she couldn't figure out where he was going with this.

A few weeks ago, at the time he and Una were closing the deal Hoshi Yamagawa wanted, Una had offered him another deal to consider. It was pretty simple, an offer he couldn't refuse. Basically, Una wanted Kaiba to practically take over Yama-Tech. Inc. if anything happened to Hoshi, since she was the heir to the company.

"I just don't understand this… why on Earth do you think you get anything good out of this deal?" He asked.

He was startled by Una's laugh. **"Is that what you're fussing about? Honestly, Seto*, I earn pretty much **_**everything**_** on this deal,"** she said in between laughs.

Seto wondered briefly if she had gone mad, but Una spoke before he could voice this.

"**Okay, let me explain. Yama-Tech. Inc. is stock-wise arranged like this: Hoshi owns 30% of the stocks, and I own 20%. 25% is my mother's, 20% goes to my godfather, and the 5% is in the hands of someone very close to our family. If anything happens to Hoshi, I get his part of the stocks, marking me as the CEO. In this deal, I give you all of the stock I will then have, making you Co-CEO of Yama-Tech. Inc, and me or another one of my family members, to go as the other Co-CEO. What do I **_**not**_** have to gain? I'll be pretty much free of that blasted company!"** Una said, sounding overly cheerful at this. Like it was something she looked forward to, should it ever happen.

"You… wait, what?" Seto asked, dumbfounded by Una's strange behavior. "Are you really saying, you don't want to run Yama-Tech. Inc.?"

Una took a deep breath and exhaled. A deep sigh. **"Yes, Seto. I am saying that,"** she said.

He couldn't believe it. "Why?" he asked.

Immediately Una's voice got cold and serious, as she said: **"Because I don't want to have anything to do, with the thing my… **_**father**_** stands for. Especially after what he planned with your predecessor. Trying to control my life, he thinks he can, but oh, no! I refuse to **_**behave**_** and be the **_**good daughter**_**."**

This sparked the little curiosity Seto had. Una had just spoken about personal matters. She almost never did. So he took a chance, and asked further into the subject. "You've mentioned he planned something with Gozaburo a lot, but what was it? Believe me, I hate anything Gozaburo had planned, but what did he plan with Hoshi?" He asked.

There was a choking sound at the other end of the line. **"You're telling me you don't know? That you have **_**no idea**_** how those bastards planned to join Yama-Tech. Inc. with Kaiba Corp.?"** Una yelled through coughs.

Seto frowned. This was getting more and more strange. "What are you talking about, Una? What plans?" He asked.

The coughing and choking sounds subsided, and for a few moments, there was only the sound of Una's heavy breathing. After a little while, she mumbled: **"Of course… keeping him to his studies… no other… just like me… perfect plan…"**.

Seto was beginning to get annoyed. Una was acting even stranger than usual. "Una, as much as I love to hear as little as possible of your voice, would you mind telling me what those two planned?" he asked, trying to stay civil and polite, knowing there were high chances that Una wouldn't tell him if he didn't play his cards the right way.

Silence followed for a few seconds. Then she said quickly, **"Our marriage."**

Now it was Seto's turn to sit there silently as he let the words sink in. Then he was sure he had heard her wrong. "Excuse me… what?" he asked.

"**Our marriage,"** Una repeated slowly, a tiny hint of some feeling in her voice.

Seto still sat there, not wanting to believe his own ears. "Sorry, I need to hear that again. It sounded like you said Gozaburo and Hoshi planned…"

"**Our marriage,"** Una finished the sentence for him, her voice now filled with disgust.

Seto sat still, frozen in his chair. Only the loudness of the thunder outside brought him partially back to sense. "But that is… that is just…"he tried to say, not able to find his words.

"**Wrong, disgusting, a theft of freedom, the worst thing to ever happen if it were to be fulfilled?"** Una suggested, with her voice light but still filled with disgust.

"I'm trying to figure out whether I should vomit, laugh, cry, or curse Gozaburo deeper into hell. No offence," Seto said, his voice mixed with different emotions, each matching the actions he wanted to do.

"**None taken. And truth be told, I was in the same situation when I figured it out. But I found a solution to the problem: I did all of it,"** Una said, voice still light, but a bit of humor had sneaked into her disgust.

Seto began to understand it all. "So that is why we were put together on that day… to see if…"

"**To see if we would like each other, become friends, start dating, get married and join the companies into one. Yup, they planned that all from the beginning," **Una said.

He sat still for a few moments, letting what Una said sink in. Then he started laughing uncontrollably.

"They thought…they actually thought… me? Marrying you? That is the… I suddenly feel very happy that I can't stand you," he said in between laughs.

Una chuckled with him for a few moments, but entered her serious mode again, when she said, **"But that's the main problem. Gozaburo may be dead, but Hoshi's still… determined… on going through with the plan."**

Seto's laughter died down, though he still chuckled and said, "Well, that's not going to happen anytime. I already have…" he clasped his hand over his mouth, almost saying too much.

Una laughed at this. **"It's that girl who's friends with Yugi Mutou, right? Congrats, my friend. She seems nice,"** Una said. Seto could hear her smiling, and to some extent, it warmed his heart. Whether he liked it or not, Una was one of the only people he would call a friend, and it made him happy to hear her approve of his…female acquaintance.

From there they turned to mindless chatter, just a little talk between friends. How their lives were going, if Una had settled down yet, how Mokuba was doing at his school, the prestigious Saitekina** Academy, and many other things.

"It's funny, I would never have thought of Mokuba as an artist, but when I see him in his studio, covered in paint and working on a new project… he looks like he's home. It makes me happy," Seto said, his voice fallen to calm level, as he for once felt at peace.

Una just let out a light chuckle.

"Well, I think I'll get back to work," he said, not able to find anything else to chat aimlessly about, and using work as an excuse.

"**Oh, wait a second! I have a favor to ask you, before you leave,"** Una suddenly said, sounding like she had just remembered something important.

Seto frowned a bit. "What is it?" He asked.

"**I was just wondering if I could have the XG1-4BX9,"** Una explained quickly.

This confused Seto. "The XG1 - 4BX9? Why do you want that? It's about half the size of the finished version, the XG1 - 8BX9.0. Wouldn't you rather have that?" he said, scratching his head.

"**That doesn't matter. All that matters to me is that it functions the same the XG1-8BX9.0. It does, doesn't it?"** Una said casually.

"You know it does, you supervised the making of it," Seto said.

Una's smirk was almost audible. **"Then can I have it?"** she asked a bit impatiently.

Seto shook his head. "Yes, you can have it, but why?" He asked, trying to get some decent answers from her.

Una let out a light chuckle. **"That's a secret, but trust me, it'll be in good hands,"** she said.

Seto sat back in his chair, still confused. "Fine, I'll have someone bring it to you," he said.

"**And I'll have the contract faxed to you in a few minutes,"** Una retaliated.

"Goodbye for now, then," he said.

"**Bye! Oh, and Seto?" **Una said, her voice light and teasing.

"Yes?" he asked, not bothering to sound like he was much interested anymore.

"**Get home to Mokuba soon, 'kay? I'm sure he misses his big brother,"** Una said, and then she hung up.

Seto sat with the phone against his ear for a little while. Actually, the sound of the fax reaching him was what pulled him out from his frozen state.

He looked out at the storm. It had calmed a little bit, and was only a drizzle and a few faint rumbles of thunder now.

He thought about looking through plans he had already checked several times. Then he thought about spending a nice afternoon in his home, accompanied by his little brother, reading a book or playing chess.

It wasn't hard for him to decide what to do.

He lifted his phone again and pressed a few buttons.

It rang once. **"Hello?"** A young boy's voice said on the other end.

"I'm on my way home now, Mokuba," he simply said.

He knew the boy was smiling. **"Okay, big brother. See you soon!" **Mokuba then hung up.

Seto put the phone down, also smiling. _"Yeah, see you soon, kid,"_ he thought, as he packed his things, and left the building.

* * *

><p><strong>*Una and Kaiba call each other by their last names when they're fighting, doing business or talking at the meetings in the IGA, but when they are talking about private lives or personal matters, they call each other by their first names. Neither of them knows precisely when they go from each state to another, as it can happen in the blink of an eye. Please note that when Una starts calling Kaiba for Seto, so do I.<strong>

****Saitekina: Perfect.**

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Yup, I added a bit of fluff in the end ^-^! Felt the need for it, but I don't think anyone will complain about that.

So, what do you think of this one? Pretty funny, if I do say so myself. I love writing about Una and Kaiba insulting each other, it's a good way to get a few cheap laughs.

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks:<em> Scaevola2, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, The Queen of Water, anna the viking XD, Hade's-Daughter17, **another new face on the review page! Nordic thanks you! **ThunderNinjaBird, xxxPureRosexxx, Crystalbird1769, and SerenePanic.**

Making it worth for me to write each chapter! You should be proud of yourselves, it's your comments, that makes me want to continue. Thanks!

**Edit: Extra specisal thanks to SerenePanic, who pointed out I uploaded the last chapter, instead of this one!**

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><p><strong><em>See you all next time, for more The Crystal Items: Pendulum!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	25. Conversations part 3

_**A/N:** _New chapter, but not just any chapter. This is probably the last chapter I'll upload, before I enter High School this Wedensday! Nooo! Summer, why do you end?

...Oh yeah, and it's also Conversations part 3...

This is more of an explanation chapter than a random, but important, chat between two people, like in the previous parts. Atem is the main speaker in this one, so I'm sorry if it's a bit too much of a monolouge. I wanted to show the more depressed side of Atem, so beware of manly tears.

I listened to "Rue's Whistle Song" from The Hunger Games and the piano song "Kimi To Boku, Todokanu Omoi" from Gundam Seed Destiny while writing this, so I suggest you do too. It really add a lot more to the mood if you do.

_**Disclaimer:** _why do we even have to say this? (I mean, the site is called _Fan_ for a reason...) I own nothing but OC's and plot.

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><p><em><strong>Conversations: Yugi and Atem<strong>_

_**Atem:**_

Atem was sitting in his spirit form outside of Yugi's bedroom window, hovering a bit in the air. The sun was slowly setting behind the clouds, and there was a comfortable silence around him.

The blue hour* was beginning.

Before he had gotten his name back, he hadn't remembered a thing about his past. Now several memories flooded his mind, especially about this particular time of day.

He remembered sitting by the Nile with _her_ by his side, both of them just enjoying the silence. He remembered _she_ would sometimes sing during this time, or even tell him about the rare moments in _her_ life, where _she_ had felt completely safe and peaceful. And more often than not, it was during the blue hour.

"_Because when the light and darkness is in complete balance, nothing is as it seems. When the light is waning, and the darkness begins to make its appearance, or the other way around, nobody is able to do anything but feel the breath of nature and of life itself."_ He remembered _she_ had said that, when he asked her why _she_ enjoyed these magical hours that much. Though, _she_ had also given him another reason.

"_During this magical time, I can hide myself so much better. When dark and light collide, and we are able to see into the other world, it is when I am the safest from those who wish to see me dead."_ Then _she_ had disappeared into the darkness, right before his eyes, and he hadn't been able to find _her_ again. It was several hours later in the morning's blue hour when he had finally seen _her_ run across the big square in front of the palace, looking at him once and smiling, before _she_ ran in the other direction towards where _she_ lived.

How was it _she_ had looked again? He remembered _she_ always tried to hide _her_ eyes, because they were an unusual color…were they golden? He also remembered he thought they were the prettiest in the world. And_ her_ hands… such delicate hands, that didn't deserve to be scarred by years of hard work. He could go on forever about _her_ beauty, he knew that. His most beloved girl. So light, so smart, so… so… so perfect. And his. Yes, _she_ was his, and nobody else could have _her_. If they tried… Oh, he had several methods to keep other suitors away from his… what was _her_ name again?

He felt a painful tugging at his heart, as he realized fully what time, and a big amount of magic, had done to him.

He couldn't remember _her_. Well, of course he remembered _something_, but the things most important to him, _her_ face, _her_ funny little quirks, _her_ way of talking… and worst of all, he couldn't remember _her_ name. But that was how _she_ wanted it; he knew that; _she_ had told him before she had gone.

"Oh, my Love, why? Why did you choose to leave me?" Atem said into the night, close to sobbing.

_**Atem/Yugi:**_

"Maybe because you blast people's eardrums when you suddenly start screaming and yelling?" he suddenly heard Yugi say.

He turned around and saw Yugi standing with his upper body hanging out of the window, his hair damp and darkened by the shower he had taken, and the tips of his usual spikes "hanging" because of this. He was dressed casually in a pair of black sweats and a white shirt. He also had a towel hanging around his neck, as well as the purple crystal. Atem just stared at him with blank eyes.

"Care to tell me what the heck happened earlier? It was as if you were possessed by something," Yugi said, tapping his fingers lightly against the window frame, his eyes suspicious, telling Atem that Yugi knew that he knew something about this whole ordeal.

Atem sighed. He also knew Yugi wanted an explanation, not that he didn't deserve it, but it was probably _the_ most painful thing for him to do: talk about _her_.

"It's… it's…I don't know if I can tell you about it, Yugi. It's… complicated," Atem admitted, feeling the pain stronger than before.

Yugi smiled an amused smile at the spirit. "You sound like you're being interrogated about a secret relationship with someone. Chill, I just want to know if anything is terribly wrong," he said, looking up at the spirit.

Atem didn't say anything, but just watched as Yugi suddenly got what had made Atem freak out like that. "Those dreams… weren't dreams, were they?" Yugi asked.

Atem sighed again. Then he nodded. "What you've been seeing in your sleep, and in your visions, are not just that. They're _my_ memories…of a girl who lived many years ago, when I was a young prince," he said, looking out into the beginning darkness.

Completely unmotivated, and without Yugi saying anything, Atem started talking, almost as if to himself.

"She loved this time of the day, you know. Loved how the sun slowly disappeared behind the desert, and how everything seemed to glow with the last light. We used to sit by the Nile, just watching all of it," he whispered.

Yugi looked at Atem as the spirit got a faraway look in his eyes, and he smiled a little, though sadly.

"This girl…who was she?" Yugi asked.

Atem looked at him again, sadness clouding his eyes. "I can't remember… at least not fully," he whispered, pain twisting his face into a frown.

Yugi tilted his head to the side. "I thought you regained all of your memories when you found out your name?" he said, not quite getting what Atem meant.

The spirit nodded, before he shook his head. "I did, but these memories were already partly deleted, when I sealed the darkness and my soul. And it's my own fault I can't remember them, because I… I…" He trailed off.

Yugi looked encouragingly at the spirit when he got stuck in his words, silently telling him to go on the best he could. Atem took a deep breath.

"Because I let her take them away," he blurted out quickly, before looking at his hands.

Yugi was more than a little confused. "You let her? Atem, what are you talking about?" he asked.

Once again, the spirit sighed. "It's a long story," he said.

Yugi smiled. "Well, I told a long story earlier today, so now it's your turn. And who knows… maybe it'll help you feel less pain…" he said, looking into the waning light, which had swept around Domino City like a thick blanket.

Atem turned his gaze towards the sky. He breathed in and out for a few moments, before he finally spoke.

_**Atem:**_

"When I first met her, she was floating around in the Nile… cold and unconscious, almost dead… but somehow, she was still breathing. I was barely 15 years old back then, but when I dragged her out of the water and stared into her eyes… I somehow knew she was going to be someone special to me," he said, gaze still fixed upon the sky and the stars starting to come forth.

"When I had gotten her out of the water, she was looking at me, half conscious. She… she spoke to me, but in a different language…"

**Flashback:**

"_D… dove…dove mi trovo?**" (Where am I?) The strange girl asked, her voice weak, before she coughed up some water._

_Atem looked down at the girl, confused. What had she just said?_

"_Chi… chi sei?" (Who are you?) She said, as she looked weakly around from her spot on the ground where he had put her._

_Atem shook his head. "I don't understand you. Sorry," he said, causing the girl to stare at him, like he had fallen from the sky._

"_Che cosa? Chi sei? Non é questa la Grecia?" (What? Who are you? Isn't this Greece?)_

_He tried to smile calmingly at her, though he had absolutely no idea what she was saying. "Don't worry, I'll get you help," he said, before he stood, making motions with his hands to tell her to stay put, when she tried follow him._

"_I'll be back soon," he said, before he turned around and ran towards the palace, calling for the guards to help him._

**End of Flashback.**

"When I returned to where I'd left her, she was gone. There were no trails as to where she could have run off to. Oh, we searched around for her, since I thought she couldn't have gone far away… but I was wrong on that part. The only trace left was a strange pendulum made out of crystal," Atem said, finally looking back at Yugi, who had listened patiently.

"But you did find her again," Yugi stated, looking a little confused.

The spirit nodded. "Yes, but almost a year later. And it was the soldiers who found her, not me," he said.

Yugi tilted his head to the side.

"She had been caught for stealing, so she was brought to the court for the Millennium Trial, and, as the prince, I was watching it. That's when I saw her again, though I didn't recognize her at first," Atem explained.

"But it couldn't have been something like a trinket or something like that she had stolen, could it? I mean, if she had taken something like…let's say a loaf of bread… would she have been put before the court anyways, if it was something like that?" Yugi asked.

Atem smiled. Of course his partner would guess she hadn't just been a lowly street thief. "No, you're right. What she tried to take was the crystal pendulum I had found that day," he said, chuckling, as he noticed Yugi got what it really was.

"She was the bearer of the Crystal Pendulum when you lived," Yugi said, as Atem nodded. "And I guess she just…"

"Wanted it back," Atem finished the sentence for the boy, and began telling about what had happened during the Trial.

**Flashback:**

"_Do you know why you are here?" Priest Mahad asked the girl in front of them. She was on her knees, her hands tied behind her back and looking at the ground._

_Atem looked at the girl, feeling he knew her from somewhere. Where could he have seen her before?_

"_I don't know why I am _here_ in front of the honored Pharaoh and his loyal priests. But I know what I came to retrieve," she said, her voice clear and determined._

"_You are here because the guards caught you trying to steal from the prince himself!" Priest Seto sneered at her. The girl lifted her head and turned it towards him. Her eyes were hidden by her thick golden hair, but it was clear she looked straight at him._

"_Steal?" she asked, as if she had no idea what he was saying, while her eyes searched the room. Atem studied her face. Was something wrong with her?_

"_Don't act like you know nothing, girl! You were caught with your hands on this jewel," Seto still sneered, as he held up the pendulum Atem had found._

_Suddenly she got to her feet quickly, hissing out something in a strange language, making the guards grab her arms._

"_I was not trying to steal it!" The girl yelled, her voice sounding a bit different, trying to break free from her bonds and the guard's grips._

"_Then what were you doing, child?" Priest Aknadin asked coldly._

"_It is mine! I was getting it back!" she yelled, glaring at the court through her bangs._

_There was a light snort from Priest Seto. "Pharaoh Akunumkanon, this child is clearly not right in her head. A mere beggar like her… owning something like that?" he said, looking down at the girl._

"_I am no beggar, nor a thief!" she almost screamed, still fighting the court._

"_Enough!" Akunumkanon ordered, looking at the girl. "We shall test her soul to see if she is lying and has ill intentions. If not, we'll see what we can do about this girl. And you will of course get it back if it really is yours, my child," he said, smiling gently at the girl as he added the last part, making her stop struggling to get free._

**End of Flashback.**

"… Then she bowed her head towards my father and thanked him politely, though she didn't look back up," Atem whispered.

"It must have been awful to look at someone struggling to get free from the guards. I don't know how you could stand watching it," Yugi said.

Atem shrugged. "When you see it every day you get used to it. Though I did find it hard to just watch her as she fought. She looked utterly desperate to get it back," he said.

"What about the Millennium Trial? How did that go?" Yugi asked curiously.

Atem grinned. "This is the fun part. They weren't able to do it," he said.

"They weren't able to… how is that even possible?!" Yugi exclaimed.

Atem chuckled. "Okay, here's what happened…"

**Flashback:**

"_Let the trial begin! Priest Shada…" Akunumkanon said, nodding towards the priest, who held up the Millennium Key._

"_I shall see what is in this girl's soul," he said as the Key began to glow. For a few moments, he looked as if he was concentrating hard, before he said, "What is this? How is it possible?"_

"_What is happening, Shada?" Mahad asked concerned._

"_This girl's soul… something is blocking it! I can't get through to it! It's as if it is covered in a haze!" he exclaimed, before he lowered the Key._

"_How is that even possible?!" Aknadin yelled, looking from Shada to the girl, glaring at her._

"_I don't know!" Shada answered, glancing towards the girl, who still had her eyes towards the ground. Her shoulders were shaking, as if she was in pain or crying._

"_It doesn't matter. Whatever is in her soul, I'll get it out with the Millennium Rod," Seto said, looking at the girl as the Rod began to glow, but…_

_As before, a few moments passed with nothing happening, aside from a strange glow appearing around the girl. "How can it be?! What is this?! Speak, child!" Seto demanded, also glaring at her._

_Atem felt offended for the girl. How dared they speak like that to her? They had had prisoners much worse than her, so why this cruel treatment? At least his father seemed to treat her nicely, like you normally would a young lady._

_But the girl just continued to shake, until Atem realized she was shaking with laughter. She raised her head a little. "It's magic," she said, grinning at them. Then she quickly raised her head, finally revealing her eyes to be a shining golden. "Twilight Magic, to be precise!" she said._

**End of Flashback.**

"What happened then?" Yugi asked, as if he were a child and someone were telling him a very exciting story.

Atem got a bit of a grim look in his eyes. "She attacked," he whispered.

**Flashback:**

_The Pendulum suddenly gave off a blinding flash, causing everybody to close their eyes to protect them. When the light faded, the girl was standing, free of her bonds and with the pendulum in her hands._

"_Never. Touch. MY PENDULUM!" The girl screeched, waves of power surging out of her thin body, the pendulum enveloping her in silvery sparks._

_Everyone present in the room had to take a few steps back, as the force was almost too powerful for them to remain standing. Atem pressed himself up against a pillar, staring at the strange girl. She looked around, and for a split second their eyes met. It was then he knew who she was._

"I have to stop her,"_ Atem thought, as she turned her eyes towards the guards._

"_**Sancti Tangiti Fortunae! Aeternum tenebrarum invoco vires ex regno!"**__ (Holy Strings of Fortune! I call upon your powers from the realm of eternal twilight!) she yelled, as black and white strings shot out from the pendulum, catching the frozen guards in a tight grip around their chests. Slowly, their faces turned blue._

"_She's going to kill them!" someone yelled._

_The girl didn't look at the person; she just turned her gaze towards the priests, a cold look in her eyes, though she specifically glared at Seto._

"_A mere beggar, was that what you called me, Priest?" she said, spitting the word priest out, like it was a curse._

_Seto only nodded, not daring to speak, as the girl looked like she was close to madness. She let out a grim smile. "Well, then, tell me this, priest… would a simple beggar and thief be able to do THIS?!" she yelled as more strings shot towards him._

_However, they didn't get to him. Atem had managed to step in the way of the strings, so they grabbed him instead._

**End of Flashback.**

Yugi stared in almost disbelief at Atem, causing the spirit to chuckle. "Relax, partner, I was fine. Here, let me show you," he said, and put his hand to Yugi's head, showing him a picture of the girl's face. She looked shocked and scared, a bit of a crazy look in her eyes, but in a funny way.

Yugi chuckled. "What a look… and what eyes… she's a beautiful one, Atem," he said, his voice a whisper at the last part.

Atem looked a bit proud at that comment. "Yeah, I do have quite a good taste in women, don't I?" he said proudly, before he turned serious again, though with a loving look in his eyes, as he thought about the girl.

"You see, she recognized me, too, and I used that to calm her. In other words, she had a hunch I wouldn't hurt her…"

**Flashback:**

"_You…"she said in a low voice, her eyes losing a bit of the anger in them._

_Atem smiled at her. "It's good to see you again. I thought you weren't going to make it when I got you out of the Nile… but I can see you weren't that badly hurt. After all, you left when I went to get help," he said, sounding a little sad at the end._

_The girl's eyes lost yet a bit of their anger, replacing it with curiosity. "You…I remember you. You… you saved me from the water," her voice was a low whisper._

_Atem felt, to his relief, that the strings around him were loosening their grip. "Yes, I did, but when I returned with help, you were gone. The pendulum was the only thing left, so I took it with me. I was going to return it, should I ever see you again. I was hoping for it to be under more…pleasant circumstances," he said in a calm, soothing voice, though a bit of sadness seeped into it._

"_I… I thought… I didn't understand you… the guards… I thought they would hurt me," she whispered, sadness replacing all the anger._

_Suddenly the strings disappeared, those around the guards, too, and the girl fell to her knees, her eyes shut, and she was trembling, this time from the tears running down her face._

**End of Flashback.**

Atem told Yugi how she had held on to the pendulum for dear life, whispering she didn't want to hurt anybody.

"She was broken," Atem said, matter-of-factly. "It was clear to anybody; even Seto admitted that. Still, the guards seized her again."

"Let me guess…if not Seto, then Aknadin wanted to see her dead, because she had just managed to use an extreme amount of magic and almost kill two guards without hesitation," Yugi said, his overall expression serious.

Atem nodded. "He said she was dangerous to let walk around, and that the pendulum should be destroyed, but I stopped them," he said.

Yugi stared at him in amazement. "How?" he asked.

Atem looked mock offended. "What do you mean, how? I was the prince, of course, didn't you know that? We have power, too, and I asked my father to spare her life. However… she had another request…"

**Flashback:**

"_Father, let the girl live! I don't believe she is evil, she's just scared!" Atem said, kneeling by the girl's side and lightly stroking her head, trying to comfort her._

_Akunumkanon frowned and looked at his son. "As much as I want to believe you, my son, she nearly killed two of our guards, and she tried to attack Priest Seto, had you not risked your life to stop her. And you saw yourself how much power she has with that little pendulum. She really hasn't much saying she should live; she is dangerous," the pharaoh said, looking at the crying girl._

_The girl snorted, and drew in a sharp breath. She looked at Akunumkanon with her golden eyes, now stained red by her tears. "Why doesn't it surprise me that the honored pharaoh is saying that? It's not like I haven't heard that hundreds of times before. I guess priests and royalty are the same everywhere," she said, tears still streaming down her face._

_This seemed to catch the pharaoh's attention. "May I ask, girl, why you say that?" he asked._

_The girl closed her mouth tightly and looked back at the ground. "I apologize; I cannot tell the pharaoh that. But know that I have looked into the eyes of death many times, and barely escaped alive, because of this stupid little pendulum I still call my most prized possession. I have experienced much pain, and seen… seen…" the girl's voice broke off, and she began sobbing again._

_Atem was at a loss for words. He barely knew this girl, yet he wanted to hold and comfort her, as she seemed so fragile._

_Akunumkanon looked at her sympathetically. Suddenly he rose from his throne, and knelt by the girl, next to his son, causing many protests from the priests, until Isis said it would be fine._

**End of Flashback.**

"My father…he looked into her eyes only once, and then he ordered the guards to release her," Atem said. "It was as if he had looked directly into her soul, and seen what the priests hadn't been able to."

Atem looked at Yugi, who was smiling at him. "You really loved your father, didn't you? And that girl?" Yugi said.

Atem blushed a bit. "Well, my father was my role model, and the girl… only the love of my life. When I regained my memories, she was always in my thoughts, and when I finally moved on, she was there… or so I thought…" he said, looking gloomy at the thought of his most beloved gone from his arms forever.

"Well, what happened to her when she was released?" Yugi asked, changing the subject quickly, noticing Atem's sadness.

Atem smiled gratefully at his friend. "Well, she wasn't really released. My father asked Isis to take her to our healers, and to have a room prepared for her, so she could get better. She had spent a few days in the dungeons, and was clearly exhausted from the massive amount of magic she had released. And myself, he asked me to keep her company, as it seemed she was friendlier and calmer if I was there, given I had saved her life. And that is pretty much how our love story began," he said, before he finally gave into the pain and let it consume him for a while, silent tears gliding over his face.

"I loved her, Yugi, I really did. And she was taken from me, only I can't remember how. Even her name is a mystery to me. I only remember her hair was golden, as were her eyes. What I remember from our time together is tainted by time and other memories, and pain is a part of every one of these memories. I don't know what to do, I am in love with a girl who died thousands of years ago," he whispered, looking into the darkness that had replaced the twilight.

Yugi looked sympathetically at the spirit. "I don't know what you can do to mend that heart, but for now, I suggest we get some sleep. Who knows, maybe things will look brighter in the morning," Yugi said and yawned.

Atem nodded. Sleep sounded good at the moment. So he returned to the crystal while Yugi went to his bed, silently bidding him good night.

Atem laid himself on a big pillow he had conjured, and closed his eyes, feeling himself drift into the land of sleep.

And then, as if the gods were giving him a small present, he suddenly felt like he was holding his beloved girl, her smell and shape filling his mind.

Smiling, he wrapped himself in a blanket, pretending it was his darling, and fell into a deep sleep, with dreams about _her._

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><p><strong>*If you don't know, the blue hour is the twilight in the morningevening, when it's neither daylight, nor darkness.**

****I used Google to help me with the Italian words… because Google Translate is soooo reliable when it comes to translating stuff…pfft, yeah right. And I'm lucky because my beta knows Latin. She fixed it, so it's not a failure by Google Translate too.**

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _That's it for this time. And possibly for the next long time too. High School is going to be one big mess the next few weeks, and I'm afraid I won't have any time to write at all. I have to get used to new people, mountains of homework and much longer days at school, so I don't know when the next update will be ready. But I'm already writing on it, so I hope it won't be too long. But expect much longer time between each update from now on. I'm very sorry, I love to see a new update on this as much as you do, but with how hectic my life is going to be from now on, I simply don't know when I'll have the time or energy to sit down and write. But there's no chance, that I'll give up on this, I promise you that.

Well, let's change the subject now, because I have other happier things to share with you:

**1. **The Crystal Items: Pendulum have now passed the 100 reviews! Woot! Thank you all so much for leaving all those nice comments, and standing up for me, when a pair of trolls told me to delete the story. It made me extremely happy to know you like my story enough to stand up for it, and I am you forever grateful. Cookies to everybody!

**2. **Is this story beginnig to become, dare I say, a little bit popular? Because since last chapter, there were _two _new names on the review page! Yes, two! I am happy! I love hearing from my readers, and to hear from someone, saying they have gotten really into the story, is jus new telling me they like my work, just makes me want to dance and sing at the top of my lungs.

**3. **Remember that I told you about the "Mornings" three parter I wanted to write? Change of plans. It's only going to be two parter (as I feel we all pretty much know how the Kaiba's mornings are) and it is going to be what I upload next. Why? Honestly, I still need a break from the regular plot, and what better way for Atem to find out the major changes in Yugi's life, than in the morning? Plus, I have some Una/Hana fluff I need to get out, so that's an extra treat for those of you who likes fluff.

**4. **Did anybody get the "Godfather" reference in the last chapter? You know: "Give him an offer he can't refuse"? Anybody? I thought someone would notice...

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks:<em> Scaevola2, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, The Queen of Water, anna the viking XD, Hade's-Daughter17, xxxPureRosexxx, Crystalbird1769, SerenePanic, **and the new faces on the review page: **foggraven, **and **Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry.**

You know the drill now. You're all fantastic, and a big encouragement for me. I already gave you cookies, so here's ice cream for all of you!

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><p><strong><em>See you all next time. I hope you've had an awesome summer!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	26. Mornings part 1

**_A/N:_**Okay, I accidentally lied, but now it's for real. This is the last chapter before I start High School... wrote like crazy yesterday, so here's "Mornings" part 1. A look into the usual morning with Una, Hana and the few people who work in their house. Personally, I already love their chef, who suddenly came along as I wrote.

Una is dancing in this chapter. I hope you're able to picture her movements, I tried to describe them the best as I could.

**_I own nothing but plot and OC's. The music Una dance to belongs to Nintendo._**

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><p><strong><em>Mornings: the Yamagawa sisters<em>**

**_Una:_**

She was sleeping peacefully. There was no other way to put it. In that single moment, where she had absolutely nothing else to do and worry about, Una Yamagawa was at peace with herself and the world around her. Sadly, that was about to change.

"Okay girl, up you go! It's Monday, March 10th, and the weather is going to be fantastic This is your 6:00 AM wake up call, and you have a nice long day of school ahead o' you. Enjoy! Have a nice day! I'm going back to sleep…" an annoyingly cheery voice yelled directly into Una's ear. Said person sat up the second the yelling reached her ears.

"Damn it, you stupid spawn of a… why do you insist on doing that?! I have an alarm clock you know!" Una hissed, rubbing the ear that had been exposed to the yelling.

The person laughed. "Because your expression is funny, and you're able to turn an alarm off," she said, grinning evilly.

Una sighed and got out of bed. "Mother of God, why can't I just have a normal morning for once?" she said, looking up at her ceiling, folding her hands.

"Hey, no need to go all religious, Un. We had enough of that with Phil," the person teased, laughing.

Una didn't answer; she just walked out of her door and went to a big room on the 4th floor, covered in mirrors and bars, hoping the person wouldn't follow her.

"Hey, Un! Where are you going? Are you mad at me? Was it something I did… wait, don't answer that… hey!" the person said, quickly following the girl to the dancing studio.

"Go away, you've already ruined my mood enough," Una groaned, as she put on her ballet outfit, consisting of a pair of thin, white pantyhose, a black leotard with long sleeves and a pair of black satin ballet shoes.

"Aw, come on, Un. I'm only teasing, you know that," the person said, almost whining.

Again Una didn't answer, clearly ignoring the person, but put on some music*, and began her morning training, starting out by stretching her legs and arms to a simple piano song.

Shortly after, though, a cheery melody** played, and suddenly, Una was dancing around on her tippy toes, jumping, twirling, and making big movements with her arms, as if she was conducting. But it didn't last for long.

The happy music lowered, and suddenly the song changed into something slower and soothing, making Una stop the wild dance, and begin a much simpler one.

At first her feet were on the ground, and her hands held above her head, arms bent a little. Then she turned in a pirouette twice, and lifted her left leg out behind her while she at the same time lowered her arms. The left arm reached out in front of her, the right one behind.

She took a few steps forward on the very tip of her toes before she once again made two pirouettes, this time with the tip of her right foot on the left knee, and her arms gently held over her heart the first twirl, and moving up to be in the same "L" like shape as before, before she ended it with holding them in the start position. She repeated this, until the song changed once more.

This time the music was more waltz-like, and somehow held the feeling of a lullaby in it.

To this melody, she just gently danced around in a circle, her arms moving around in gentle waves. Nothing of it was planned out and practiced. She was just following a gentle rhythm, and dancing around herself to the steady beat. 1 2 3, 1 2 3, over and over again, a look of peace and happiness. As if she was dancing with a loved one.

And just before the music stopped, she took the standard position for a waltz, and did a few steps on her own, actually pretending she was dancing with an unknown gentleman, and curtsied to her invisible partner, when the music stopped.

There was the light sound of clapping throughout the room. Una looked up and noticed the person was standing in the doorway, smiling. "Who was the lucky one to be your dance partner this time?" said person asked, a bit teasingly.

Una, who had apparently let her previous anger go in the midst of her dancing, smiled and answered: "Howl***".

The person smiled happily. "Ah yes, he's a real charmer, isn't he? But are you sure you didn't think of a certain Yu…"

"Shut up!" Una cut the person off, blushing madly. "I only kissed his cheek as an apology… nothing more…" she said quickly.

The person smirked. "As an apology… sure, I'll play along with that," the person said, before she turned around to leave the room. "I'll go check if the kid is up," the person added.

"10 bucks says she's not!" Una yelled.

This time it was Una's turn not to get an answer, but a good natured laugh sounded from the person. The bet wasn't even necessary. Both of them knew Hanabi would be either asleep or just woken up.

Una looked at the clock on her wall. It read 6:30. She smiled. "That's it for the morning training. Now for a shower, breakfast, and then school," she said out loud to herself, mentally crossing out that part of her morning routine.

Still smiling, Una left the mirrored room. _"I wonder what Yugi will say, when I ask hi… I mean his friends and him, to the revealing this Saturday. I hope they'll say yes, I really want to make new friends…"_ she thought as she walked back to the 5th floor to shower and get ready for school.

**_Meanwhile._**

**_Hana:_**

Just like Una, Hanabi was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the person trying to wake her up, as she was having a good, but strange, dream.

"_Hmm… what is that… a shining… tain…"_

"…_Na…"_

"_It's beautiful… daddy… love you…"_

"…_Ana… wake up…"_

"_I want to… take me with… my sis…"_

"HANABI! WAKE. THE HELL. UP!"

"Uwaah!" Hana yelped, as she fell out of her bed and onto the wooden floor.

"Owie… what on Earth was that for?" she asked the person standing over her.

"You wouldn't wake up," the person stated simply.

"Couldn't you have done it more gently?" Hana asked, getting up and stretching her arms, while a yawn escaped her lips.

"I tried. For 15 minutes. But of course you have to be woken the hard way… not that I wake up Una gently, but I at least try with you," the person stated matter of factly.

Hana froze. "Don't tell me that…" she whispered, suddenly very pale.

"You've overslept again? Oh, yes, yes, you have. It is 7:00 in the morning, and school starts in an hour and a half. You need to…" the person said, but was cut off, when Hana stormed out of her room, swearing like there was no tomorrow.

"Language, young lady!" The person yelled after her.

"I DON'T F****** CARE! I NEED TO SHOWER AND DO MY HAIR BEFORE I CAN EVEN LEAVE THIS ROOM! DO YOU KNOW HOW FREAKING LONG THAT TAKES FOR ME TO DO?!" Hana screamed to the person behind her, turning on the water for her shower, and pretty much jumping in the second the water hit the marble floor.

"I am so, so, soooo screwed!" she whined, as the hot water splashed down over her.

**_Una:_**

Una sat by a little dining table in the big kitchen, sipping a cup of tea and reading the morning paper. She was already in her school uniform, the pendant hanging around her neck, shining like ever.

"So what's new in the world today, Miss Una?" sounded the voice of a young man.

Una flipped through the pages for a little while. "Let's see… the world economy is going the wrong way… some celebrity is getting a divorce… a notice about the reveal we're holding this Saturday… so basically, nothing new, Nichol… the world is as bland as ever," she said, sighing tiredly, looking up at him.

Nichol, a young man from Greece, studying to become a chef, and one of the Yamagawa family's private chefs, stood by the stove and was stirring something in a pot. He laughed at Una's comment.

"Well, at least we know it is still the same as yesterday. And who knows… maybe something interesting happens today," he said cheerfully.

Una faked a bored sigh, and said, "And maybe Hanabi will someday learn to get up on time on a work day, and stop being the early bird when it's the weekend and we're _supposed_ to be sleeping in."

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, then they burst out laughing.

"Speaking of the younger miss, she should be here in about 3…" Nichol said.

"2…" Una continued with a playful glint in her eyes.

"1…" They finished together, the second Hana ran into the kitchen.

"Sorry, I'm late! I overslept! How long until we're heading off for school? Am I able to get a piece of toast before we leave?" she said quickly, looking around frantically.

Una laughed again. "Lad mig gætte: hun sagde klokken var 7:00, gjorde hun ikke?" (Let me guess: she told you it was 7:00 PM, didn't she?)

Hana was leaning on the table, desperately trying to catch her breath. "I'm… I'm not late?" She gasped, sucking in large gulps of air.

"Only to hear how boring the world still is… oh, and you missed saying good bye to Hoshi… though, in all honesty, I did, too. But what's new in that?" Una said, smiling at the beginning of the sentence, but frowning at the end. Then she smiled at Hana. "It's 7:00 now, pumpkin. You were probably woken up at 6:30," she said, taking another sip of her tea.

Hanabi sat in a vacant chair muttering something under her breath, her face red with anger, until Nichol disturbed her.

"Cheer up, Little Miss. How about you feel happy about getting to enjoy my homemade oatmeal**** while it's still warm?" he said, smiling brotherly, and placing a bowl filled with a steaming light brown/grayish substance.

Hana looked up and smiled at him. "Yes, thanks Nic," she said, before she turned her attention towards her oatmeal. Una, who had been given a bowl, too, did the same.

For a little while the two sisters just sat in front of each other, barely saying a word. Only when Hanabi would occasionally ask for the honey to sweeten her meal, and Una would ask for her to give it back, did they talk. Still, it wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfy and homey silence that was only broken by the sound of the spoons hitting the bowls, and Hanabi's happy sounds of content as she enjoyed the warm oatmeal. In between, Una would do the same.

When the bowls were emptied and Una had gotten a refill on her morning tea, the door to the kitchen opened, and a woman stepped in.

Her hair was the same color as Una's, and she was just as light in her skin tone. It was cut to mid-neck, and had big curls in it. A few strands of hair stuck straight into the air like antennas, and two very prominent curls stuck out from either side of her bangs. Her eyes were bluish-grey, and she was only a little taller than Hana. Una smiled at her, and Hana practically beamed with joy.

"Good morning, Mom." "'Morning, Mama!" said the two girls as the woman joined them by the table.

She smiled lovingly at them. "Good morning, my little darlings. 'Morning, Nichol. How are you all this fine day?" she said, kissing both of her daughters' cheeks.

Hana giggled. "Just fine, but I thought I was late again. Turns out I wasn't," she said, before turning to Nichol and asked him if he could cut her a few slices of bread.

"I'm fine as well. A little tired, but that's normal," Una said, smiling at her mother, Marie.

Marie frowned. "When did you last go to the hospital, my dear? Do you need to get your…"

"I am perfectly fine, mom. I went last week," Una said, cutting her off.

"She's been sneaking out of taking her additional vitamins and minerals lately," Hana tattled, looking at Una with a disapproving look. Marie had about the same expression, only it looked more disappointed.

"Una…" she sighed. "Do we really have to go through this again?"

Una looked at the table. "I don't like swallowing pills," she mumbled quietly, sneaking an angry look at Hanabi, as if saying: traitor. Hana ignored it, spreading a layer of apricot jam on her bread.

"Still, it's the doctor's orders. And you'll feel much stronger if you take them. It's been proved," Marie said in a worried tone.

Una didn't answer. Instead she sighed and went to a little drawer which contained several glasses filled with different pills. She picked up a few of them and poured out one of each. She took them in her hand, went back to the table and stared at the 6 different pills, as if they were evil.

"Come on, Nee-chan. Down they go," Hana said impatiently.

Una sighed once more, before she swallowed all of them with a glass of milk Nichol had given her.

"It just pointless. I'm fine without them," she mumbled.

"No, you're not," came in unison from the others in the room, making Una blush.

"Whatever. Well, Cupcake, are you ready to go?" she said, changing the subject.

Quickly Hana ate the last bites of her bread and drank a glass of pineapple juice. "Just a sec," she said, and hurried out of the kitchen to go get her bag and brush her teeth.

Una laughed at the little girl's speed, before she followed suit and went to add the few details before she walked off to school.

Shortly after, both girls stood by the front door doing last minute checks to see if they had forgotten anything.

"Have a nice day, girls!" Marie called after them, earning her a wave from each girl.

"Can I trust you to walk the last part to the Academy alone?" Una asked, when they were close to Hana's school.

The little girl nodded. "I'll prove to you, I'm not lazy!" Hana said determined. Una laughed.

"Then off you go. I have something I need to do before school," she said, giving the little girl a slight push in the back.

Hana looked up at her. "You mean walking to school with Yugi-sama*****?" she said mischievously.

Una's face turned red at the question, but before she could react, Hana had run off towards her school.

"That little…!" Una mumbled, smiling, but she couldn't say the little girl was wrong. She looked down the street, and smiled when she noticed a familiar person walking towards her. Said person stopped in his tracks when he noticed her.

She smiled in a friendly way. "Good morning, Yugi," she said.

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><p><strong><em>*This: just your regular barre practise music.<em>**

**_**This: Type in Super Mario Galaxy Music: The End in youtube. ( won't post all of the link.)_**

**_If you're interested in knowing, she's dancing to the music played in the end cutscene, a piano version of the theme of Gusty Garden Galaxy, and the theme of the Comet Observatory, also in a piano version. From the Wii game "Super Mario Galaxy"._**

**_***Howl's Moving Castle._**

**_****Fact from the real life: yours truly enjoys a nice bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon-sugar every morning!_**

**_*****A way of addressing someone who is above you in status, and whom you respect very much._**

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**Since I haven't gotten that many reviews since yesterday, I skip the special thanks today. Instead I would like to thank all of you for reading The Crystal Items: Pendulum, and when you review to tell me how happy a new update makes you. Every time I see a new message I sqeal with joy. I know this is a very slow progressing story. 22 chapters in, if you count the seperate parts of my multi-parted chapters as one, and only a week has passed in story time... but I will get on with the main plot soon, and lots of things will be revealed later on. And then there's the sequel I have in store for you. Thank you all so much!

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><p><strong><em>See you all next time!<br>-Nordic Twin_**


	27. Mornings part 2

**_A/N:_**It's FINALLY DONE! Here is Mornings part 2! This means, Nordic Twin, Iz. Back! I survived the first day!

Wow, life has sure been hectic for me these past few weeks, I can't believe it. I'm an official High School student now, and since I'm not dead yet, I think it's pretty good. Pfft, just kidding. It's great :) I've already signed up for the musical this year, met a bunch of nice new friends and we're going on a "shake-together-trip" tomorrow. It means me, my classmates, intro-students and a few teachers are going to a cabin for two days and a night :D It's going to be awesome, to say the least!

I've missed all of you, and I've worked like crazy when I had the time, so I could have something ready for you. I hope you'll enjoy this. I has all a good chapter needs: humor, seriousness, and best of all... fluff in large amounts! And check out my new poll on my profile. This is important, so be sure to give off a vote.

Not much more for now. Please read!

**_Disclaimer: _**When did I say I owned anything?

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><p><strong><em>Mornings: Yugi and Atem<em>**

**_Yugi:_**

_A girl clad in the purest of white stood in front of him, tears streaming down her cheeks, the moonlight turning them to silver. The wind blew around her, making her hair cover her face, except her big golden eyes. So much sadness was held in them, it almost broke his heart. How dare all those people say she was dangerous? His beloved was NOT dangerous, just scared… and hurt… and had lost all trust in other people… but she was relearning, and he was there to help her._

_He held his arms out to her, wanting to embrace her, when…_

**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

Yugi groaned tiredly when the ever-annoying sound of his alarm clock burst through his dream (or another one of Atem's memories) and told him it was time to start a new day at school.

"Great… just great… I swear, I'm going to destroy that clock with a sledge hammer* one of these days," he muttered as he swung his legs out of his bed, yawned, and headed towards the bathroom.

_~Good morning, Atem,~_ Yugi greeted through the mind link, expecting a similar answer, but was instead met by the sound of someone snoring heavily.

The spirit was still asleep. The same spirit that had made him get up at 6:00 AM on a weekend… an aspect that didn't make Yugi what you would call… happy. More like _very _annoyed.

Yugi smirked, a plan forming in his mind. Oh, he knew Atem would be mad, but it would be worth it.

Yugi looked at himself in the mirror over the sink. He frowned. His hair was a mess and his eyes were small from sleep and the bright light. His face looked like it was drooping a little, and he had a little trail of drool from the corner of his mouth. Something told him his little plan would not only earn him a cheap laugh, but would also help him get rid of the morning face.

Without hesitating, he turned on the water and began filling the sink with cold water. When he thought it was full enough, he turned off the water, and braced himself from the impact and the inescapable hit on his nerves.

Then Yugi took a deep breath, and without further hesitation, he stuck his head into the ice cold water.

Only three seconds later, he heard the sound of a _very_ angry pharaoh yelling a string of curses at him.

**_Atem:_**

Like Yugi, Atem was in the middle of a good dream. Or, in his case, memories of his beloved girl. Some part of him vaguely registered that Yugi too was somehow melted into him, and that the boy suddenly left at some part. Not that he cared that much. He was too caught up in what he saw.

_He held his arms out to her, wanting to embrace her, when she yelled, "No! Don't go near me, you'll only get hurt!"_

_He ignored her shouts, walking towards her, and soon they were muffled, for he had put his arms around her frail form, one around her waist and the other behind her head, and pressed her face against his chest, gently nuzzling her hair._

"_Hush, precious one, and listen to me for once. I. Will never. Leave you. Simple as that. You belong with me, you are to be my queen some day," he whispered, holding her a little tighter._

_The girl became limp in his arms as she stopped trying to get free, and instead returned the embrace. Still, her tears continued to stream, making his chest wet._

"_You are so stubborn. How can you say things like that when you don't even know if I love you?" she whispered, her voice filled with the feelings she denied._

_Atem smiled into her river of spun gold. "If you didn't, you wouldn't even let me touch you," he whispered back._

_He could feel her cheeks heat up as she blushed. "Well, it's… it's nice being held… but don't think it… means… anything…" she trailed off, as he gently kissed her hair and forehead, before tilting her head towards him, aiming for her lips…_

**SPLASH!**

Then everything was cold, and before he knew it, the memory was replaced by his room in the crystal, and his partner pulling his head out of a sink filled with icy water.

_~You (curses and insults)! What in the name of Ra was that for, you (more curses and insults**)!~_ he screamed, feeling the cold seeping from Yugi to him.

Yugi chuckled. _~You wouldn't wake up, and you didn't react to the mind link,~ _he said innocently, drying his face with a towel.

_~Oh, and you just thought that sticking your face into ice water was the perfect solution to that problem?!~_ Atem fumed, shivering. How he wished he was back in the warmth from the memory.

Yugi laughed at his tone. _~Call it payback from yesterday when you woke me up that early. I'll have you know, I get up at 6:00 AM every workday. It's necessary if I want to get to school before everyone else,~_ Yugi said, grabbing a few things from the cupboards under the sink.

Atem's curiosity replaced a bit of the anger. _~Why in the name of Ra do you want to get to school before everybody? And… what on Earth are you doing?~_ he asked, as Yugi smeared a white substance on his face.

Yugi smiled. _~Well, you see, since the last time you were here, quite a few things have changed. In my case, I've become class president. Thus I have a few duties before school begins,~_ he explained. _~And to answer your other question: I'm shaving~_

That answer, carelessly said, caught him by surprise. Since when did Yugi shave?

_~I've been shaving for about half a year. I tried to grow a beard once, but I didn't think it looked good. So I've been shaving since,~_ Yugi explained, sensing Atem's confusion, before he began dragging the razorblade across his chin, effectively removing all hair.

After a few minutes where Yugi shaved, and Atem stared in almost disbelief, Atem sighed and showed himself in his spirit form in front of the boy. Yugi shot a quick glance at him, before washing off the rest of the shaving foam. "What?" Yugi asked.

"Well… you said many things had changed. I just wondered what they changed to…" he explained.

Yugi smiled at him. "Give me a second to get dressed, and then I'll tell you. I swear, you won't believe half of it," the boy said, heading off to his room.

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi put on his school uniform, the usual white shirt with a blue jacket and blue pants, adding a black collar with studs, and a few black leather bracelets with silver Celtic knots sewn to them. Finally, he pulled a comb through his hair, having it somehow ending in its usual spikes. How they managed to do that, he had no idea, but it was his style.

"Okay, done. But be prepared, more has happened than you think," Yugi said, going to the kitchen, with Atem following him close behind.

"I'm all ears. How about you begin with Tea and… was it Kaiba?" Atem said, sitting himself in midair, while Yugi put a few slices of bread in the toaster, and started the coffee machine.

Yugi lifted his head and looked out of the window, seeing it was already sunny weather. "Yeah, that's a good place to start," he said a bit absentmindedly, before shaking his head lightly to clear it. He turned and faced Atem.

"Tea's new story starts shortly after you left. As you, and everybody else, know, I was in love with her. Was. We tried dating for a little while, but…

**Flashback:**

"_Tea, what are we doing?" Yugi asked, as they sat in front of each other at a little café, each with a piece of cake in front of them._

"_What do you mean? We're eating cake, silly," Tea said, smiling, though a little uneasily._

_Yugi sighed. "That not what I meant… we've been going out for, what, a month?" he said, looking down at the cake, not wanting to face her._

"_Yes, we have, haven't we? And? What's the problem, Yugi?" she asked, sounding caring. Like a sister talking to her brother. And that was what his point was._

"_It's just… it doesn't feel right. And I don't think it ever has," Yugi said, still looking at his cake._

"_What doesn't feel right?" Tea asked._

"_This… us… it doesn't feel like I'm on a date with my girlfriend, but out spending quality time with my sister…" Yugi said, finally meeting Tea's confused gaze._

**End of Flashback.**

"It went painlessly. It turned out Tea had been feeling the same way, so we just stopped calling it dating and continued as friends. Nothing has been awkward between us, and now… Kaiba has been giving her more… let's call it attention," Yugi said, grinning at the last part.

Atem looked surprised. "Kaiba and Tea? No way, who would've thought?" he whispered. Then suddenly, he smirked. "Attention in which ways, Yugi?" he asked, the smirk growing, as Yugi chuckled and said:

"Oh, you know. He's picking her up from her dance lessons. Taking her to dinner on the best restaurants… in America. Quick kisses, they think no one sees, but that Joey has gotten on camera several times… stuff like that."

The two of them looked at each other for a moment. Then they burst out laughing.

"This is too great… so… blackmail purposes?" Atem asked about the pictures.

Yugi laughed too. "Maybe…" he said, getting his bread and coffee, and sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs. Spreading a light layer of butter on his toast, he told Atem that Serenity had chosen Tristan over Duke. The latter had then, for a few weeks, drawn himself away from the group to nurse his "wounds", but he was getting back on his feet again.

"Don't think Joey approves of this… he was ready to kill Tristan when he found out. But he came to the conclusion that it is better she chose someone he knows, rather than a stranger. But if Tristan ever slips up, making Serenity cry or something like that, Joey has personally declared that he both can and will kill Tristan. Over protective big brother," Yugi said, laughing gently.

Atem smiled. In that way, Joey never changed. Serenity was his whole world, what he fought so hard for. "A big brother's love never changes," he said, and Yugi nodded in approval.

"And don't underestimate the love of big sisters. I swear, if you saw the Yamagawa sisters together, you'd be surprised to see how much Una loves the little one," Yugi said, laughing gently.

The look in Atem's eyes changed to a teasing glint. "That's right… how about you and that Una girl? Tell me about that," he said, smirking.

Yugi, who had been taking a bite of his toast, choked a little and blushed ten shades of red. "That… that's none of your business!" He sputtered out.

Atem let out a loud cackle. "I think it is… we're sharing a body, you know. Unless you want me to take over and speak to the girl myself?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Yugi, still blushing, began to talk. Very fast. He didn't want Una to find out about Atem just yet. She would think he was a freak if he told her he had a 3000 year old spirit sharing his body. Wouldn't she?

"Well, she's about 5 centimeters smaller than me. Long golden hair, dark brown eyes, pale, thin… the most adorable smile you'll ever see… and she sings too. Oh, and she's into duel monsters too," Yugi babbled on, trying to get every little detail about her right, but quickly.

"She's very nice, you'll like her, but she's a little mysterious and shy. She's known Kaiba for years, and even he doesn't know much about her. But that's okay; I want to figure out all of her little mysteries. Makes it more fun to get to know her," Yugi said, smiling.

Atem smiled too. "Always going after a new mystery and adventure… in that way you never change, my friend," he said gently.

Yugi shook his head, laughing a little, before he looked at Atem with a serious expression. "I guess you're right. But things have changed, Atem. Nobody can ever stay the same. We change a little each day, it's how life is. Even you changed the last time you were here, and you have also changed in the year you have been away," he said, looking into the spirit's eyes.

Atem looked at him like he was crazy. "And how have I changed?" Atem asked in a dull voice.

Yugi smiled a little. "Simple. The Atem I knew last year would never have cried in front of anyone. He preferred to suffer in silence and alone, as he felt crying was a sign of weakness. Not unlike Kaiba. But I say, the one who can cry and show sadness in front of other people, he is truly strong," his expression serious once more.

**_Atem:_**

Atem stared at Yugi for a few moments. Just like that, in that single little second, Yugi showed wits beyond his age. A much more philosophical Yugi, one that knew life was difficult and that you had to fight for it. He could clearly see it in the boy's eyes. They had a completely different look to them. Like he was 50 years older or something like that.

"_But that's how you get after being influenced by the Millennium Items I suppose,"_ Atem thought, observing Yugi as he discovered he was beginning to run late, and began flitting around the house, getting a few things done, before he ran out the door with his bag in hand. And, as Yugi's self-proclaimed guardian once more, he bound a bit of himself to the crystal and followed him.

Meanwhile, Yugi began telling him about several little things that had changed. About Mokuba entering a prestige Academy for rich and gifted children, (scholarships were given to those who weren't rich, but "just" gifted); about Kaiba repeating his last year of High School (it made him crack up). But what shocked Atem most was to find out Pegasus had asked Yugi to be his heir.

_~Wait… you mean Pegasus, himself, came to your house… in person… and asked you to be the next CEO of Industrial Illusions? Just like that?~_ he asked through the mind link.

Yugi nodded. _~Yup. Couldn't believe it myself, either. Thought it was a joke. But no, no. He's serious, and tries to get me into the business by sending me DVD letters,~_ Yugi explained.

Atem was completely dumbstruck. Never had he thought their old enemy would give Yugi that opportunity. _~That sure is something to process. Have you given him an answer?~_

Yugi shook his head. _~Not yet. I'm not sure if I want to… I mean, if I say yes, my life is pretty much cut off from other opportunities. And I want to be able to choose the cards in my deck, and change it when I want to,~_ he said, rubbing his head.

Atem smiled. Though he had never heard his friend say something like that before, it seemed like a typical thing for Yugi to say. And it was a good saying too. _~So you keep in contact with him?~ _he asked, feeling curious to know more about Yugi's newfound friendship with Pegasus.

Yugi nodded again. _~I send him e-mails, telling him how life is here. He's in Egypt right now, doing god knows what. He wouldn't even tell me,~_ Yugi said, frowning. _~I think he's up to something. But I don't know what. What could he be searching for?~_

Atem felt confused, and when Yugi sensed it, he quickly explained Pegasus had brought a team of archaeologists with him.

Atem thought for a little while. Then he said, _~I don't think he's up to something bad. The way you tell me about him, makes me believe he's changed for good.~_

Yugi nodded and was about to say something, when he suddenly looked up and stopped dead in his tracks.

Concerned, Atem went out of the crystal and hovered above Yugi, looking for any signs of danger.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes darting around. He could feel Yugi's heart was suddenly pounding like crazy, and his mind had gotten still. Not a single thought was to be heard.

And then he discovered her, a block or two away. A girl with long golden hair, fair skin and a bit thin. She was smiling at Yugi, dark eyes shining with happiness.

"Good morning, Yugi," she said in a friendly way.

And then a single word erupted from Yugi's lips.

"Una…" he whispered.

Atem looked at the girl and smiled. So she was the girl that had caught his partner's love and attention.

_"Well, this is going to be interesting,"_ he thought as Yugi began walking towards Una, his heart still thumping quickly in his heart.

* * *

><p><strong>*Funny little story: when I was younger, we had this little egg timer. And I hated that timer with my entire being because I would always get scared half to death when it went off. Small thing, but with a very loud bell. So each time it was used and I got scared, I would say, "Someday, I'm going to destroy that thing with a sledge hammer!"<strong>

****Censorship was brought to you by Censorship's United Reader Security for Enjoyable Stories. Otherwise known as C.U.R.S.E.S. (I just came up with it.)**

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** _So that's it for this time. I hope you liked it!

**Join Nordic in prayer:**

Now I have a little request from all of you. It's not much, but I hope you'll join me. You see, I have this friend. She's about one of the nicest person's I've ever met in my life, and I can't think of one bad thing about her. She's sweet, caring, fun and loves music. She dreams of becoming a professional musician when she gets older, and she wants to go to the capital to live. So many great dreams, I know she's going to make reality...

Last week, she was diagnosed with cancer.

She has now begun a long and harsh round of chemotherapy. Every 2nd week for half a year, it's off to the hospital. Now, I know it's not much, but I hoped that all of you guys would take a second to pray with me. She doesn't deserve to be in all this pain and think of life and death. She's 17, life has just begun for her! And now this happens to her... so since I can't do anything but pray for her to make it, I would really appreciate it, if you would join me, even if it's just for a second.

Thank you for your time.

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: and Rainbow-Claw.<strong> _Two new faces! I hope both of you enjoyed the chapter! **_SerenePanic, The Queen of Water, xxxPureRosexxx, Scaevola2, Crystalbird1769, ThunderNinjaBird, anna the viking XD, and Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood_**

All of you are great! Hope you know that! Cookies to you!

* * *

><p><strong><em>See you all next time!<br>-Nordic Twin_**


	28. The true face

**_A/N:_** I'm back again, with the actual plot this time! This'll be the end of filler chapters for a while, but I dont think anyone will complain about that.

So what have you guys been up to, lately? To me, life has been great for me these past few weeks :) So many things have happened!

**Una: **mind you, she's just using this as an excuse to brag about how happy she is to have joined the student council, and have joined the choir for her school's performance of "Blues Brothers".

**Nordic:** (Laughs awkwardly.) Well... if you put it that way... But why shouldn't I be happy about that? I'm going to help the school, and perform! I like helping people, and I love to perform! Nordic is happy!

**Una: **weren't you supposed to tell the readers about the chapter, instead of being stupid and talking with me... in other words, talking with yourself, as I am a product of your twisted mind?

**Nordic: **... no comments.

I don't know if any of you remember Sobokuna Kokatsuna. Y'know, that girl who decided to make Una her new best friend to get famous? Yeah, she's in this chapter. Read the chapter to find out more. Now, if you will excuse me... I'm just going to sit in the corner under my emo cloud...

_**Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

><p><strong><em>The true face<em>**

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi almost couldn't believe his own eyes. Then he smiled happily, though he was grinning like a love struck idiot on the inside, and ran to her.

"Good morning, Una. What are you doing here this early?" he asked as he stood next to her.

She smiled a little nervously. "I… I just wanted to walk to school with you today. Talk a little…" she said, looking at her book bag made of light brown leather, which she was holding in her hands.

Yugi smiled. "Sure! Company is always nice," he said as they began walking next to each other, feeling strangely giddy.

**_Atem:_**

Atem watched and listened as Yugi and Una made small talk while walking to school. (Well, Yugi did most of the talking. Una was mostly listening to him talk about random things, and asking a question once in a while.) Watched, because he wanted to know how this girl his partner had fallen for looked, and listened, because her voice seemed familiar to him.

He had to admit, she was very pretty. Her golden hair went, much to his surprise, nicely with her dark eyes and pale skin. She appeared to be observing the world, taking in every little leaf and crack in the pavement as if it was something precious. As she was a little smaller than Yugi, he noticed her hair had lighter streaks in it, instead of being a single color. Strangely, that reminded him of something, too. What was it with this girl?

He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. She seemed too familiar. The problem was: was she friend or foe?

But since Yugi seemed to have taken a liking to her, he decided to keep his mouth shut and be happy for his friend. Seeing him so happy… maybe he was just jealous of the boy. Yes, that had to be it.

It didn't mean he liked the girl because of that, though.

It wasn't until Una spoke up a little louder, looking like she was concentrating very hard on something, and said, "Listen, Yugi, there was something I wanted to ask you…"

Atem and Yugi looked at the girl. Since they had arrived at Domino High, they had both stopped, so Yugi could look her into her eyes.

"Yes? What is it, Una?" Yugi asked, smiling at her in a friendly way.

Una bit her lip a little. "Would you and your friends… WAH!" Una tried to say, but was cut off by a strange girl glomping her.

"Yamagawa-san! Good morning, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed, hugging the girl tighter.

Being bound to Yugi much stronger than before, Atem quickly noticed the dislike Yugi held for this girl. She had green hair, was smaller than both him and Una, and had dark green eyes that shone in a way that disgusted Atem.

Fake honesty, fake friendship… everything the girl emitted was fake, be it emotions or appearance. She wasn't truly happy to see Una. She didn't care if her morning was good or not. All she cared about was herself.

In that second, he liked Una a little bit better, because her eyes were filled with disgust as she looked at the girl, trying to get out of the embrace.

"…Good morning… Kokatsuna-san…" she said in a strained voice, as if she was trying hard to be civil with the girl.

A few seconds later, and an apologetic look from Una to Yugi, Una was dragged off by a giggling and chatting Kokatsuna, looking like she'd much rather be with Yugi instead of the fake, hyper girl.

Atem noticed Yugi staring after the girls. His mind was frozen on one thing.

"What… the heck… just happened…?" Yugi said.

_~Well if you ask me, I'd say your little girlfriend just got kidnapped… by a crazy… what is it anyways?~_ Atem asked, looking in the same direction that creature had gone, as he decided it was too strange to be human.

Yugi sighed, and headed inside and towards his classroom. _~First, Atem, don't call Sobokuna Kokatsuna an it; it's rude. Second, she is the class president of the class a year younger than mine. She may be naïve... but I'm beginning to think it's just a façade she's holding up…~_ He replied to the spirit.

_~Got that right… didn't mean a thing she just said… I hate that kind of people,~_ Atem said, almost sneering, as he appeared in front of Yugi. The latter sighed.

_~Well, there's nothing we can do. Without the puzzle you have no access to shadow magic, thus you cannot stop her. But trust me, if it was possible, I'd stop her right away. But the world doesn't work like that. Though I have a feeling Kokatsuna will soon regret she ever faked friendship with Una…~_ Yugi said, as he began doing his morning duties.

Atem stared at the boy. _~What makes you say that?~_ he asked, curious.

Yugi chuckled a bit darkly. _~Kaiba warned me about her explosive temper. Trust me when I say it won't be pretty once Una snaps,~_ Yugi said.

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi looked around as his friends soon entered the classroom, greeting him with good mornings and hopes that both the spirit and boy had had a nice night full of sleep.

"Well, besides from Atem being depressed and heartbroken, I slept well," Yugi said smiling, as he teased the spirit.

Being more than a little annoyed, Atem took over the body for a few moments and sneered, "Well, my morning would have been just _perfect,_ had this idiot not stuck his head in ice water to wake me up! Seriously, I was having a _very_ nice dream!"

Tea, Joey, and Tristan laughed. Yugi got his body back and said, "You could just have woken up when I said good morning. And I told you earlier, it was revenge for yesterday. And you know revenge is a dish best served cold."

This backhanded comment pushed Atem into another rant filled with curses and insults, which Yugi ignored. Instead he turned to Tea.

"Did you send Ishizu an e-mail?" he asked. She nodded.

"I haven't gotten an answer yet, though. But that's understandable from what I've heard about from her letters. Apparently, Pegasus has dragged her and her brothers into the desert, mostly for fun. I'll never understand that man, I really never will…" she mumbled the last part.

This made the group laugh again as she shook her head as if she had given up.

"Well, we'll just have to wait until…" Yugi said, but he was cut off, for suddenly there was the sound of someone very annoyed outside the class.

"Yes, this is really my natural skin tone. And I've told you over and over, I do not have any fancy ways to become thin! I'm this way naturally. Let go of my arm, Kokatsuna-san, this is my classroom… yes… I'll see you during lunch…" Una then entered the classroom, her face red and eyes tired.

She looked towards Yugi, Tea, Joey, and Tristan and sighed. Without a word, she walked to them, sat down by her table and sighed again.

"Oh, for the love of God, that girl is annoying…" she whispered, her face in her hands.

Tea smiled at her. "Is something wrong, Una?" she asked.

Una looked up at her, her expression thoughtful, as if she was debating with herself whether she should tell her or not. Finally she put her head on the table and said, "It's Kokatsuna… she won't leave me alone! And she keeps invading my personal space! And touch me… and she won't listen… and she's just… oh, for the love of God, why?"

Yugi felt as if he had been stabbed, when he saw Una's expression. She looked helpless and lost. "Is there something I can do? I mean, I am class president. There must be something…" he said, wanting to help her.

Una looked up at him, a tired smile on her face. "It's very sweet of you, Yugi, but I'm fine. I think I can handle it on my own," she said, her pendant flashing white for a moment.

Yugi stared at it in amazement for a while. He didn't even notice his friends had begun talking again, Joey teasing Una about the newly discovered "do not touch me" rule she apparently had, until Una suddenly said, "Oh, yeah. Now I remember, there was something I wanted to ask you." She was looking at Yugi.

At first Yugi was confused, but then he remembered Una had wanted to ask him something just before Kokatsuna had kidnapped her. "Yes, that's right. What is it?" he asked, smiling.

Una smiled back and was about to say something, when their teacher entered the classroom, starting the lesson.

Yugi sighed. Seemed like the world was against Una asking him something today. Just wonderful.

**_?:_**

She sat completely still on the roof, her eyes closed. One might think she was asleep, but she was anything but sleeping.

She was scanning minds. The proof was the glowing pendulum in her hand.

"_That Kokatsuna is really getting on my nerves. Maybe I should do something about it?"_ she thought, as she lingered on that particular girl's mind.

"_Oh, God, not again. Please don't do anything. Emi hasn't been released from the hospital yet, she's not even awake! You were being way too hard on her," _the voice in her mind complained.

She frowned. _"That girl deserved everything she got, and you know that. And just like Koroki, Kokatsuna has no good intentions in mind,"_ she thought back, trying to reason with the voice.

"_No! I will not allow it! You just can't hurt people, even though their minds are… was it impure you called them?"_ the other voice said, sneering at the last part.

She just laughed at the voice, causing it to grumble angrily.

"_I don't think it's funny! What good comes from changing people? People have to change on their own. If they don't want to, then that's their loss if they end up unhappy,"_ it said, matter-of-factly.

She smiled. _"Ah, but see, this is where the good comes in from me changing them: who wants to be alone and unhappy?"_ she asked.

The other voice didn't answer. She waited. Still no answer. She smirked confidently.

"_I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that. Could you slow down so I can get all of your protests correctly?"_ She asked, enjoying the feeling of defeat coming from the other presence.

"_I want you to wait a little bit. I want to see for a final time if she will listen. If not… ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this… then do as you wish,"_ it said, admitting she was right.

She smiled imperiously at the words. _"Deal,"_ she said, and sniggered.

**_Timeskip to lunch period._**

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi sat with his friends, minus Una, in the big dining area and enjoyed his boxed lunch in relative peace. Relative, because nothing was ever peaceful in the big dining area.

In one corner the athletes were talking loudly about some kind of ballgame.

In another corner the group of technology happy students, including Kaiba when he bothered to eat in public, sat around their laptops typing away at them. Probably designing something crazy or hacking each others' Facebook accounts.

In yet another corner the little group of exchange students had gathered. It was an unwritten rule of theirs: meet once a week to eat together and hear about their friends' adventures.

And finally, there were all the other different groups of friends, including Yugi's group; just sitting at random tables, chatting and pulling pranks on other people. Though it wasn't what one would call peaceful, Yugi enjoyed the happy commotion. It was oddly contagious.

But suddenly something broke off the happy feel to everything, when a well-known, but definitely not happy, voice cut through the room.

"WOULD YOU JUST GET OFF ME, YOU INSUFFERABLE EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING?!" Una yelled angrily.

Yugi stood and looked across the room. Close to the doors leading outside, Una stood with Kokatsuna standing a few feet from her and looking up at her. And Una was, to put it mildly, pissed.

**_Una:_**

Una was walking calmly down the hallway, humming a little tune to herself. She had just enjoyed a nice boxed lunch, courtesy of Kino, another one of their chefs, and was feeling happy and full. Now, if she could just get to ask Yugi that question, her day would be completely perfect.

Except, it wasn't exactly perfect. There came her stalker again.

"Yamagawa-san! Where have you been? I've been looking all over the place for you, girl!" Kokatsuna said cheerily as she clung onto Una's arm.

Una sighed and said: "Let go, please. And I just went to eat lunch for myself."

Kokatsuna didn't let go, but pouted. "But Una-chaan! We're friends! Shouldn't friends eat together?" she whined, holding Una's arm tighter.

Una felt her brow twitch. "Una-chan? When did I give you my permission to call me that? And didn't I tell you to let go of me?" she said, her voice losing a bit of her politeness.

Kokatsuna giggled. "Silly Una-chan. Since we're good friends, I thought I'd stop calling you Yamagawa-san! It sounds better, too. I bet I'm the first one to call you that!" she said, still holding on to the arm in a vice like grip, ignoring Una's request.

Una began to feel the anger building up in her. Like little carbon dioxide bubbles in a bottle of soda. "No, you're not. And I don't want you to call me that. We're not even close to being close friends. Oh, and _let go of me_!" She said, beginning to sneer. She felt her pendant stirring with her anger, as it always mirrored her mood.

Kokatsuna just laughed. "Silly Una-chan, of course we are friends. I've done so much for you," she sang happily. It was beginning to seriously get on Una's nerves.

She frowned and began fuming, not able to keep her anger down anymore. "You've done nothing for me! Well, you've been keeping me from my friends and other people! You're trying to take me all for yourself, and you won't listen! I don't need someone to follow me like a puppy. I don't need fake friends LIKE YOU!" Una sneered angrily.

But it was as if Kokatsuna was both blind and deaf, since she didn't react to Una's now obvious anger and said, "Say, aren't Kaiba Corp. and Yama-Tech. Inc. having a big party and revealing this Saturday? What time shall I arrive? Is there a dress code? I am so excited to meet all those rich and famous people, Una-chan! We're going to have so much fun, just you and I. I can't wait to get out of this…"

"WOULD. YOU. _JUST_. GET. **OFF**. ME! YOU _**INSUFFERABLE**_ EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING?!" Una snapped, tearing her arm from Kokatsuna, almost making her fall.

Kokatsuna looked at her with big eyes. "Una-chan…" she whispered, looking shocked.

"Don't you 'Una-chan' me, you little leech! For almost a week, you've been following me around, disturbing my peace, violating my personal space, and never listening once to what I've said!" Una yelled. She was well aware that her pendant was probably black as coal now, but she didn't care. This girl was pissing her off.

Kokatsuna looked at her with big eyes, trying to look innocent and hurt, to make Una look like the villain, but Una could see the anger hidden under it.

"But… but Una-chan… I'm your friend… I would never…" she said, her voice a very obvious fake innocent tone. Una snorted.

"You, my friend? Ha, you must be joking! All you want is to get higher up in the ranks, become famous, and laugh at all of the people you've stepped on to get there," she said, looking at the green haired girl with disgust.

Someone in the crowd said, "That's right! Say the truth to her face! We're tired of seeing her suck up to anybody with a high social status!"

Una looked over her shoulder at the person, to see it was one of the exchange students. She smiled at her, and saluted once, earning her a grin. She noticed her pendant bobbed once, as if it approved of the gesture, and chuckled. When she turned her attention back to Kokatsuna, she smirked.

The friendly façade was gone. Instead, Kokatsuna was glaring at her, her eyes looking slightly red.

Una bent her head to Kokatsuna's eye-level, being a little taller than her, and asked, "What? Is the truth about yourself too nasty for you to accept? Or do you honestly believe everybody thinks you're as naïve as you seem to be?"

Kokatsuna's face turned red with anger, and she finally began talking. "You… you… how dare you talk to me that way?!" she screamed, turning purple for a moment.

Una still smirked at her, though her feelings of pity for the attention-desperate girl sneaked into her eyes. "Why, that's simple. I do it because you really need to learn a lesson. And face it, kid. That nasty little mask you wear is not helping at all. So why don't you just scram and find some friends who are just like you? I'm sure they'll teach you how awful it is to be surrounded by masks of plastic," she said, turning around on her heel and walking down to where she had spotted Yugi and the others.

**_Sobokuna:_**

She stared after Una with empty eyes as she walked away. Then rage took over.

"YOU BRAT! AFTER ALL MY HARD WORK AT PRETENDING YOU'RE SOMETHING 'OH SO SPECIAL', THIS IS ALL I GET? NOTHING BUT A BETRAYAL?!" she screamed angrily.

Una looked calmly over her shoulder, staring at her with void eyes. "How can I betray you when you have done nothing for me? Have I not told you countless times to leave me alone, and you ignored it?" she asked.

Sobokuna felt heat rising to her cheeks. "You… go to hell, stupid goose! Go back to the stinking, cold, pointless country you came from!" she noticed a stone lying almost next to her foot. It was the perfect size, and, boy, would it be wonderful when it hit the brat, straight in the face. "Just… just die!" she yelled, taking a step to the left and picking it up.

She didn't even get to raise it above her head.

A couple of the male exchange students had run to her and grabbed both of her arms. They hissed something to her in their native language. Though she didn't understand a word of it, she knew it was a threat if she ever did something like that again. Despite this, she didn't let go of the rock. Only when she felt one of them twist her wrist into a painful angle did she drop it.

They dragged her outside and let go of her, staring her down. She glared back.

They spat something out in their native language again and walked away, their fronts facing her all the time, to prevent her from attacking them from behind.

Angrily, Sobokuna stared after the boys, her fists clenched so hard that her nails drew blood. Only one thought was on her mind.

Revenge on Una Yamagawa. And it couldn't happen fast enough.

**_?:_**

Somewhere, a girl looked at Sobokuna Kokatsuna, as the latter paced back and forth, preparing her revenge on Una. She smirked.

"It seems like I'll be busy this afternoon~!" she sang, rocking back and forth on her feet as if swaying to some kind of music.

"Oh, yes, I'll be having lots of fun with the Crystal Pendulum today~! And those with evil in mind will pay~! AH HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" she laughed, disappearing into the shadows, planning when to strike.

After today, Sobokuna Kokatsuna would never be the same again.

Ever!

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**the drama! It's too much! It's... ajfghjxakjgfghfghm! I am _SO_ happy with this chapter! By far, one of my favourites! Drama, fights, a hint of fluff, a little bit of insanity... It. Is. Perfect!

I have noticed the chapters are getting a little longer than what I usually write. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing.

And once more, I would like to remind my dear readers of the poll. So far, 5 persons have voted, but I would like for a few more to vote, before I decide anything. So hop on over to my profile, and give off a vote!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Special thanks:<strong>_**The Queen of Water, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, Aqua Girl 007, Scaevola2, SerenePanic, Airheadninja, Crystalbird1769, anna the viking XD, xxxPureRosexxx, Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry, mika . layni **and last, but definitely not least, **ThunderNinjaBird!**

All of you are so awesome, because you are kind enough to tell me what you think about my story! And a huge thank you to all of you, because you joined me in prayer for my friend. So far, she looks great! I'm sure she will win the fight.

A quick little "I'm sorry" to mika . layni. I have no clue what happened, but your name got deleted, when I had written it and saved the changes... and I tried many times, but it happened over and over again! Grrrr! I hate when that happens! And it just did it again, when I saved the last changes on this, so I've added a little bit of space in your penname. This was the only way, it would keep it on the page.

On the last note, I would like to tell you, that the _amazing_ Crystalbird1769 is in the middle of making a piece of fanart for me! It's a picture of the hidden lake from chapter 13: "Angry Mokuba". I've seen how it looks so far, and I tell you: it's going to be awesome! Thank you Crystal!

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><p><em><strong>Well, I guess I see you all next time!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin.**_


	29. Invitation

**_A/N:_**Surprise update, that didn't take to weeks to get done! Here's a very fluffy chapter from Nordic Twin. I realized writing is a great way to spend the little breaks between each class, so I am getting a bit of work done. The next chapter is already in the making, and it's going to be great!

I'll just cut out the mindless chatting for now, and let you get on with the story.

**_Disclaimer:_** I own nothing but OC's and the plot.

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p><strong><em>Invitation<em>**

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi watched almost in awe, as Una told Kokatsuna off in what many called "Trademark Kaiba behavior". Calm expression, a gaze void of any emotion, snide comments and remarks, and just the perfect amount of superiority. But unlike Kaiba, she didn't behave that way because she was that way normally.

She did it to let people, especially people like Kokatsuna, know that you couldn't get her respect by being fake and treating her like a princess.

People earned Una's respect and friendship by being honest and being the way they were.

Therefore Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey welcomed Una to their table with open arms, not with some kind of anger or remorse.

"Nicely done, Una! Nailed her right there, ya' sure did!" Joey applauded with Tristan, but Una sighed as she sat down next to Tea.

"I hate having to behave like Kaiba. It reminds me about how much we actually have in common… and it's more than I like," she admitted, leaning her head on the palm of her hand.

Tea smiled at her and patted the girls back. "Sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone and show a bit of claws," she said, holding her hand up.

Una looked at her with wonder in her eyes. Then she smiled and high-fived with Tea, before the girls engaged in mindless chatter.

Yugi looked at them, smiling. He was happy that Una had handled her problem by herself. It proved she was more than just her looks. Atem, however, wasn't happy.

_~Did you sense that?!~_ the spirit nearly yelled.

While Yugi seemed to just be calm and smiling on the outside, his internal self jumped at the sudden outburst, and he was gasping for his breath to return.

_~Sense what, Atem?~_ he asked, not getting what had upset the spirit that much.

_~That girl… I swear to Ra, something from near her sent out a massive amount of magic! Didn't you feel it? It felt like I got shocked!~_ Atem said, sounding suspicious.

Yugi frowned a little. _~Magic? __What kind of magic?~_ he asked, now on his guard, though reluctantly. It couldn't have been magic coming from Una, could it?

_~See, that's the problem. I don't know! Or… I think I do… it felt familiar, but I can't remember why. But it's definitely not shadow magic, that's for sure,~_ the spirit said, sounding close to angry with the fact that his memory was bugging him again.

_~Not shadow magic? But how is that possible? Isn't it the only magic to exist?~_ Yugi asked, confusedly.

He could sense a feeling of unease from Atem, and if the spirit had been in front of him, Yugi knew he would be fidgeting. He ground his teeth together.

_~Yamiiiii?! Is there something you have forgotten to tell me? Something… oh, I don't know…_ important_?!~_ Yugi asked, sneering in his mind, going back to calling his friend by the title he had before he got his name back, signaling he was angry.

Atem laughed a little uneasily. _~Uhmm… well, there may be… you know… it's difficult to explain… oh, look! I think Una wants to talk to you,~_ he stammered.

Yugi sighed, before he turned his attention towards Una. She was looking at him curiously. He smiled at the friendly shine in her eyes. "Sorry, did you say anything?" he asked.

She smiled back. "Yeah, I wanted to give all of you an invitation," she said, looking at the group of friends.

Tea peaked up at this. "An invitation? To what?" she asked.

Una smiled widely. "To the… oh, hello, Claude," she said, as she was suddenly interrupted by a boy with shining, short black hair, brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin.

"Bonjour, Una. May I 'ave a word with you?" he said, smiling at her in a friendly way.

Una smiled at him. "Oui, just a second," she said, turning towards the others.

"I' m sorry, I'll have to wait to tell you… again… but Claude here is an old friend of mine. It would be rude to decline," she said, bowing to them.

They just brushed it off. "No need to be so formal. You're a friend, you don't have to be so polite," Tea said.

Una just smiled, before she walked away with Claude.

Yugi eyed the boy suspiciously. Who was he?

"Who is that guy?" Yugi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"That's Claude Marat, one of the exchange students. He's a Frenchman," Tea said, sounding unimpressed. "The other girls are swooning over him, but I don't see the appeal. Sure, he's pretty, but he's also flirting wherever he goes," she added, examining her nails in a bored manner.

Yugi listened with half an ear. He was watching Una talking with Claude, laughing, smiling… getting kissed on the hand!

He felt an unknown emotion well up inside of him, and he wanted very much to go over there and punch the Frenchman. Sure, the boy was bigger than him, but Joey had taught him a trick or two about fighting. He was pretty sure he would have a chance.

But he didn't get to do anything because the bell rang and they had to get back to class.

_~You're jealous at that French boy,~_ Atem teased Yugi while he walked back.

Yugi let out a snort. _~So what if I am? At least I'm not clinging to a memory!~ _he said.

Yugi knew Atem had turned his eyes towards the ceiling in his crystal. _~Very mature, Yugi,~_ he commented sarcastically.

Yugi sighed._~I know I'm being ridiculous… but that boy touching Una…! Argh! I don't want him to!~_ he answered, feeling helpless in his jealousy. He couldn't help it. Somehow, he had this feeling that Una was _his_.

_~I know the feeling, and it hurts. That girl I loved… I remember she did something for a living… and the men would all surround her, like she was some kind of goddess. And it plagued me, more than anything else. If I could, I'd have her locked inside the palace for all eternity… but that wouldn't have worked. She was born to be free like the wind,~ _Atem said, sighing.

_~We're a couple of jealous, heartbroken idiots, aren't we?~_ Yugi asked, half joking, half serious.

Atem chuckled once sadly. _~It seems like it,~_ he replied, as they entered the classroom.

As soon as they had sat down, Una walked in, smiling, though she looked sad. Troubled by this, Yugi asked if something was wrong, but she only shook her head, but more in a "don't worry about me" way, than a simple no.

The rest of the day, Yugi spent his time watching and worrying over the crying girl.

Little did he know, she did her best not to show him her tears, sure she would break out in heavy sobs if he showed even the smallest bit of concern for her.

**_Una:_**

"_I miss them. I miss them. So. MUCH! Why did we have to move? I was just getting… oh, Louie, Phill… I love you both to the skies. And Claude just reminded me of it,"_ Una thought, feeling frail and exposed.

"_Louie, are you doing well in school, now I'm not there to help you? And Phil, how is that organ playing of yours coming along? Is the new girl living with you nice? I hope so… please, just don't let her take my place… as the third member of the Half-Blood Trio,"_ she thought, gazing out of the window, remembering the wonderful time before she moved from her old home.

**_Time skip._**

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi stood by the window in his classroom, the broom in his hand. Tea had left to go to her dance practice, Tristan had to go to the dentist for once, and Joey and Serenity had planned a trip to the cinema, just the two of them. So Yugi was alone that afternoon.

Well, not completely alone. In the distance, he could hear a piano playing a soft tune. A part of him knew it was Una, but he didn't want to disturb her this time. She had only just begun to show them a bit of trust, and he didn't want to break it… again.

And Atem was there of course. The spirit paced behind him, frowning, ranting about Una. Yugi was well aware the spirit didn't like her; he had sensed it the moment he decided she was too familiar, but Yugi had told him not to be ridiculous. Una wasn't dangerous, she was sweet, caring, and a little shy, but with strength and willpower enough to challenge Kaiba. How could someone like her be dangerous?

Still, he accepted Atem's feelings and promised to look out, should his suspicions be correct. But for now, he tuned out the rant.

"Are you even listening to me, Yugi?" he asked, sounding irritated.

Yugi shook his head. "I'm listening to the music. It goes well with the rain," he said, gesturing to the light drizzle outside, which had begun earlier.

Atem looked at it, too, his rant forgotten. "I was wondering why you didn't head home. You finished cleaning a while back," he said.

Yugi nodded. "I'm waiting for it to clear," he said, when suddenly a voice startled him.

"Who are you talking to?" Una asked.

Yugi whipped around and looked at the golden haired girl. She looked confusedly at him.

"No one! No… one, haha! Just speaking to myself," he said awkwardly, quickly trying to cover up for his talk with Atem.

Una frowned for a second. Then she shrugged and looked out at the rain too. "Listen, it looks like it's not getting any better soon, so I was wondering if you wanted a ride," she said.

Yugi froze. "A ride? How? Don't you walk to school?" he asked. Una shook her head and laughed.

"We live outside of Domino City, drive to the Yama-Tech. Inc. HQ and walk from there. And since the kid just called me and said she was staying a bit longer at school to finish a project, I have a spare seat. So what do you say? A walk in the rain or…" she said, letting the offer hang in the air.

Yugi didn't even need to think; even Atem didn't protest. "Let's go," he said.

Una smiled. "Excellent! Come on, I asked Claude to go get it for me," she said smiling, walking out of the door towards the front entrance.

Yugi tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Get what?" he asked, following her.

Una smiled.

"Oh, you'll see in a bit," she said, looking smug.

**_Una:_**

Una couldn't help but grin proudly when she looked at Yugi's face as they arrived at Domino High's parking lot.

Standing before them was, in her eyes, a truly magnificent piece of machinery.

Shining black with broad tires, looking like it was leaning slightly back, and some strange type of roof making sure the two seats and driver/passenger didn't get wet, stood a motorcycle. _Her_ motorcycle. And one of the things she was truly proud of owning.

"Isn't it awesome? It's a custom, so this is the only one ever made. Being rich does pay off once in a while," she said proudly, looking at it.

"Thi… this is… this is _yours_?" Yugi asked, his eyes almost popping out of his face, as he stared at it.

"Yup! Now, get on it, before we get soaked!" she said, hurrying to it. She laughed a little when she noticed the look of awe on his face as he stared at the machine.

"What is it with men and machines? Though I do agree that my bike is amazing," she said, as he sat on the seat behind her. She put on a black helmet that matched the motorcycle.

"I'm sorry, but the only spare helmet I own is Hana's, and it certainly won't fit you. But I'll drive carefully, 'kay? Just hold on," she said, looking over her shoulder, as she began to start the motorcycle. She saw that he nodded.

"Alright, let's go!" she proclaimed.

She kick-started the engine, removed the brake, and then they were off.

**_Yugi:_**

Yugi had never felt anything like it. He sat behind Una, holding on to her stomach, driving through Domino City on her motorcycle. From the look in her eyes and the proud tone in her voice when she said it was a custom, he knew she loved the motorcycle. And even more, the thing that came with it: speed.

He would never have thought she liked those kinds of things! She really was like a puzzle with the picture side of the pieces hidden. With each piece he turned, he discovered something new.

It wasn't long before she stopped outside the Kame Game Shop. He hadn't even gotten wet from the rain. It seemed like a roof on a motorcycle wasn't a bad idea.

"Here we are," she said as she stopped the machine and Yugi hopped off.

"Thanks for the ride," he said over his shoulder, when he headed for the door.

"Hey, wait a second! I didn't get to ask you my question!" Una called.

Yugi turned around and looked at her curiously. She had taken off her helmet and looked like she was blushing.

"You see… Yama-Tech. Inc. and Kaiba Corp. are hosting a sort of… press conference; I guess you could call it that… this Saturday. It's mostly going to be Hoshi and Kaiba answering questions, and a little input from me, but there will be a big revealing of our new project too," she said looking away.

Yugi felt his curiosity rise as she spoke. "Yes?" he asked, encouraging her to go on.

She took a deep breath. "Well, the thing is, my mom suggested I invited a couple of friends along so I wouldn't get bored. So since I don't really know anyone else, I thought if… you, Tristan, Joey, and Tea would come? Though I'm sure Tea has already been invited by Seto," she said quickly, snickering a little at the end.

Yugi's face lit up in a brilliant smile. "Of course! I'm sure the others would love to attend. And then we'll help you celebrate your little sister's birthday, too," he said, smiling gently at the last part.

Una stiffened for a second. Then she looked at him with a grateful smile. "_Thank you_, so much," she said.

Then she put on her helmet, started the engine once more and called, "See you tomorrow!" before she sped off and was gone.

Yugi smiled to himself. "Yeah, see you tomorrow," he whispered.

Then he turned around and headed inside the Kame Game Shop, enjoying the warmth and the 'Welcome home!' from his grandfather.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_That's it for now. I hope you liked it.

Still not much to say... only a repeat from last time: **HAVE A LOOK AT MY POLL!** Seriously, I'm not going to let 5 votes decide, wether I should add a chapter of the sub-plot, or let it be a one-shot! So please... VOTE!

Oh, and look at the changed profile picture. Isn't he adorable? That is my baby :)

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, SerenePanic, The Queen of Water, Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, anna the viking XD, Crystalbird1769, mika. laylani, riku'sgirl19, xxxPureRosexxx, ThunderNinjaBird.<strong>_

My wonderful readers, I thank you all for making writing fun. I always look forward to hear what you think, so I hurry with each chapter. Thanks! hot chocolate to everyone, because it's been raining all day.

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><p><strong><em>See you all next time!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	30. Attack of the Pendulum

**_A/N: _**Hey there, Nordic is back and procastinating to make the paper she has to turn in next week! (I did not just say that...)

Not much to say, since I uploaded a few days ago... so let's just skip to important part, and get on with the story!

**_Disclaimer:_**I own nothing but plot and OC's.

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><p><strong><em>Attack of the Pendulum<em>**

_Sobokuna's memories._

**_Sobokuna:_**

Sobokuna Kokatsuna was sitting in her room, plotting and scheming. She was fuming over the fact that a rich brat like Una Yamagawa had effectively cut off any chances she had to get close to someone with at least a _bit_ of status.

Seriously, all she wanted was to become _someone_. Someone who people would beck and scrape for, someone who could do _everything_ she _wanted_! Was that so bad? So what if she had to lie and trick people? As they say, the ends justify the means.

But that was out of the question for her now, since that cow had cut off her chances. Surely, people would warn others against her now. Unless she did something to make Una seem like the liar.

Currently, she was reading all the stuff she could find about Yama-Tech. Inc. online. There had to be something she could use... something that would make a great scandal and ruin her life.

"_Come on… a little slip up… that vile temper of hers… wait a second… her temper! I've got it!"_ Sobokuna thought, an evil grin spreading on her face.

If she leaked the story to the press and made it look like Una had, without a reason, just suddenly attacked an innocent student who just wanted to be her friend… Oh, it would be glorious! And add a little about her probably on some kind of illegal diet, drugs sounded like a great idea, Una _was_ sickly thin and pale anyways. She said she didn't diet… pfft, as _if_! And she, Sobokuna Kokatsuna, was going to be the one uncovering her little scheme.

Yes… Una was the evil one… she was innocent… she had never done anything wrong. People were after her because they knew she was pure, beautiful, and better than they. She had always been, and would always be.

"You honestly believe that?" a voice suddenly said behind her.

Sobukuna whipped her head around, looking for the voice. But no one was there.

"I'm being silly… there's no one there," she said to herself, turning back to her computer.

"But there is someone… I am right here," the voice said again.

Sobokuna turned around again, standing this time. She felt a sudden chill go down her spine, like someone was watching her.

"Who's there?! Show yourself, creep!" Sobokuna said, trying to sound brave, though her voice was trembling.

A sinister chuckle resonated through the room. "Silly girl…" it whispered to her left, so low it almost wasn't there. Sobokuna looked to the side.

"Nope, I'm not there. I'm over here," it whispered from somewhere behind her. Sobokuna turned around.

"Oops, wrong place, I'm over here!" "No, I'm right here". "Come on, I'm not invisible".

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere around Sobokuna, and she looked around helplessly.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" She called into the room, feeling her body go cold, as a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, and she felt breath against her ear.

"Isn't it obvious? You are going to pay for you evil intentions," the voice whispered.

Then the hand gave her a hard push, and she stumbled forwards, turning around in the process. What met her eyes when she looked at the owner of the voice froze her in place.

In front of her stood a woman wearing a light purple cloak, with a big hood covering most of her face. The only thing she could see of her face was the mouth, which was set in an angry scowl. Though Sobokuna couldn't see her eyes, she knew the woman was glaring at her.

"Who… who are you?" Sobokuna stammered, taking a little step back. The scowl changed to a creepy smile.

"I am the bearer of the Crystal Pendulum. Punishing those who wish to do other people wrong to get further in life is my mission. And you, Sobokuna Kokatsuna, have just become my top priority," she said, taking a step forward.

Sobokuna stepped back, beginning to feel cold sweat covering her body. "I… I have no… no i… idea what you're talking about. How… how did you get in here?" she said, still stammering. The woman grinned.

"I have my ways… Now, do you want to receive your punishment right away, or do I have to use force?" she said as she held out a shining pendulum made out some kind of glass. It gave off an air of power and authority.

Summoning a bit of otherwise non-existent courage, Sobokuna squared her shoulders and glared at the woman. "You think you're something, huh creep? Tell me, what asylum have you escaped from? You better get out of here right now, or I'll call the police!"

The woman began chuckling. "Oh, poor, ignorant child. That was the same threat Emi Koroki used on me, and as you probably know, she met her fate, too," she whispered.

Sobokuna froze. She had heard about what had happened to Emi, and that she had ended up in a coma. "That… was you?" she managed to say, almost choking on the words. The woman nodded.

Immediately Sobokuna's survival instincts kicked in.

She sucked up to those with more power. And she was certain that, with that pendulum, this woman was the most powerful person she would ever meet.

"Wow, that is quite a bit of power you must have. No wonder you beat up Emi, if you used that. I'm honored that such a strong being like you would stand before me," she said in a sweet little girl voice, hoping it would work.

The woman let out something similar to a growl. "Cut it out, child. It will never work on me, and you will never use this dirty little trick again. I hope you enjoyed your last minutes as yourself," she said in a low voice as the pendulum began to shine even brighter and she took yet another step towards Sobokuna.

Finally Sobokuna's survival instincts told her to get the hell away, and without a word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of her room, towards the front door. Behind her, she heard a heavy sigh.

"Fine, suit yourself. I guess we have to do this the hard way… again!" the woman said.

**_?:_**

"_Why do they always run?"_she thought as she silently commanded the Strings of Fortune to catch Sobokuna. She heard a loud bump and the scream of the girl as the black and white, mostly black, strings probably wrapped around her feet and slowly bound her to the ground.

"_Oh, I don't know… maybe because you THREATHEN THEIR LIVES?!" t_he other voice boomed in her head. She winced at the harshness.

"_You said I was free to do as I wished, earlier,"_ she whined.

"_Yes, but people get scared when you suddenly appear and attack them with the Pendulum. It's no wonder they run!"_ the voice scolded, though with a gentler voice.

"_But I don't want to hurt them… I don't even want to use the Pendulum this way,"_ she whispered as she walked to where Sobokuna was being bound in a tight cocoon, the strings covering her almost entirely from head to toe. She was trembling with fear.

"_Then don't. Just make her forget all of this ever happened… let her go…"_ the other voice said gently. She shook her head, as she held the Pendulum over Sobokuna's head.

"_You know I can't. She has to be changed entirely, or she'll never learn,"_ she answered, blocking off the other voice. She looked at the girl at her feet.

"Look at all these black strings. They are your evil decisions, your dark side. The white strings are the good you've done, the light you still possess. And I can read these strings, child, and I know you've been good. But something happened, and I am going to find out what. So relax, now, as I read your soul," she said to Sobokuna, her voice the lowest of whispers.

And then she closed her eyes and let her mind drift into the soul of Sobokuna Kokatsuna.

At first darkness was all she saw. She wasn't afraid though; she had done this before. She couldn't remember how many times exactly, but enough to embrace this darkness, and wait for the light she would see eventually.

Soon little spheres of yellow light appeared around her. Some hovered around lazily, others bounced through the darkness, and others again shot past her like little lightning bolts.

"Let's have a look at these memories… How about we start with childhood?" she said, mostly to herself, though she knew Sobokuna could hear her too.

As soon as she had said the words, a couple of the spheres connected and formed a bigger sphere in front of it. Carefully she approached it, and began watching its surface.

And what she saw surprised her, and yet it didn't. She had expected it to show something like it, but it's never nice to be right in such assumptions.

_She saw a child being paced towards perfection by her parents. She saw a child yearning for attention and being approved of. But they always said to her, "It wasn't bad, but you can do so much better", even if she had done her very best. And the child began believing it, began believing she wasn't good enough. So already at the age of seven, she decided to do anything, at all costs, to show her parents she was good enough and would get to the top. So what if her ways weren't clean? All that mattered for her was for her parents to approve._

She called for a few other spheres and watched as the child evolved into a young girl, just as cunning as her name said, still hungry for her parents to see and approve of her.

_She did everything she could, both good and bad. Doing homework half the night and proudly showing her 100% test to her parents. They barely looked at her, and said something about it being fine._

_And still they did not see her or approve, and still she cried on the inside, begging for them to say she did great, tell her they loved her. But those words never came. So she turned towards cheating and being the puppy of the teachers, older children, anyone whom she thought had a bit of status. But even this couldn't make her parents notice her._

_Instead her father ran away with some woman, and her mom engaged in her work, never being there, and leaving poor little Sobokuna on her own most of the time._

She sighed. Sobokuna was just another forgotten child, just another lost soul who had given up.

_Silently she watched as the child grew into a teenager, who forgot why she did what she did, and just did it out of habit. She watched a teenager who enjoyed the misery she imagined those who had less than her were in, and would do anything to get to her goal. So what if she lied and cheated? She was someone. And if she wasn't, life wasn't worth anything._

She decided enough was enough, and finally retracted from Sobokuna's mind, appearing in front of the bound girl. She saw fear in the girl's eyes, but also pain and anger. She could almost hear her yelling profanities at her.

"Oh child, so broken you are," she said sympathetically, ordering the strings to uncover the girl's mouth, so she could respond. A few seconds passed, then Sobokuna screamed.

"How DARE you! What on _Earth_ did you do to me, you _freak_? Let me go, let me go, let. _Me. GO_!"

She sighed once more, ordering the strings to cover the girl's mouth again. Setting her face in a perfect emotionless mask, she said, "You have forgotten yourself, child, and you are broken beyond repair. So as the bearer of the Crystal Pendulum, it is my duty to fix this by taking that wicked, evil thing your soul has become, and changing it into something new and shining. But don't worry, you won't feel a thing. Actually, you won't remember this happened at all."

She took a step towards Sobokuna, knelt down by her side, and held the pendulum over the girl's head.

"You're going to fall into a nice deep sleep for about a week. You'll see your old self drift away slowly, being replaced by the new one. And once you wake up, all your pain and evil deeds will be forgotten," she whispered.

Sobokuna's eyes got big, and her pupils filled almost all of the green color. She stopped struggling, as the strings around her loosened their grip, and the pendulum glowed.

"Penalty: soul change," she said as the Crystal Pendulum glowed even brighter and white dust poured out from it, covering Sobokuna.

**_Sobokuna:_**

She watched in fear as the white dust suddenly covered her from head to toe. She felt it creep down her body under the strings and her clothes. But it didn't feel bad. More like being covered in a thin, warm blanket.

The black and white strings around her body loosened, and she could move freely again. She didn't try to move though. She only turned her head to the side, watching the woman's retreating figure.

She could feel her body drift away into slumber. With the last of her power, she whispered, "Who… who are you?"

The woman turned around and looked at her. She caught a glimpse of golden brown eyes and a surprisingly gentle smile.

"My name is Fortuna*," she whispered.

That was the last thing Sobokuna heard. Then she fell unconscious.

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><p><strong>*Fortune<strong>

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Finally **?'s** name is revealed! Took long enough, but hee you go: **?** is named Fortuna.

This chapter is a little darker than what I usually write. But I think I did a pretty good job describing the different emotions. Pain, sadness, anger etc. Hope you liked it!

We've hit chapter 30! (Or 25, if you count each of the chapters with multiple parts as one.) Thank you for sticking with me so far.

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, ThunderNinjaBird, anna the viking XD, mika. laylani, Crystalbird1769, The Queen of Water, SerenePanic, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, xxxPureRosexxx <strong>_and_** Dynasty-Feral. **_A new "face" on the review page. I welcome you to the madness I represent in my writing, and hope you'll enjoy the future chapters :D

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><p><em><strong>See you all next time!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	31. Cooking and magic

**_A/N:_**Sweet joy, there's _finally_ a bit less of homework for me to do, so I have been able to write! Yay! This is so much more fun, than making a Danish assignment, thank GOd it's over... for now...

Yes, Nordic Twin is back with another update, and this time, it's... it's... I really don't know what to call it. It's the result of the poll, and a bit of my own plot. It had to be a fifty-fifty solution, because each part of this chapter, would've been too short. Sooo... this is going to be interesting to read...

Head up, this is going to be the last part of the subplot, before it becomes a part of the actual plot.

Enjoy reading!

_**I own nothing but plot and OC's!**_

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><p><strong><em>Cooking…<em>**

Mokuba hated cooking class; there was no doubt about it. Even the teachers of the subject at the Saitekina Academy knew this. It just seemed obvious. (And if you looked at his grades on the subject, it literally was.) It was pointless to him. After all, he had a ton of professional chefs to make him his meals each day! So what was the reason for him to learn?

"No, no, no! Kaiba-kun, tell me. How is it possible for you to even fail at boiling an egg?" a teacher once asked him. He had just shrugged, and sent the woman a blank stare.

"Mokuba… how can it be you constantly gets bad grades in cooking class? All of your other grades are perfect, nothing to say against them, but cooking…? Is there a reason why you're doing _this_ badly?" Seto had asked him, sighing, a day he had come home with his grades for that month.

His only response had been looking at his feet and saying, "I just don't like cooking class. It's pointless".

Seto had sighed again. "That may be, well, in our _current_ situation," he had said, discreetly telling Mokuba that they could easily lose all their money, thus needing the ability to cook for themselves. "But it is still very important to learn such things. Will you promise me to do your best, even though it seems pointless?" he had then asked, though Mokuba felt like it was an order.

Still, he nodded. If it would make Seto happy.

So this was why he was standing in his school's kitchen, desperately practicing his skills with a pan and a bowl of liquid batter.

He was trying to make crepes.

And so far, he wasn't doing too well.

"No! Why won't it work? I'm doing exactly as the recipe says!" he whined childishly, as the batter burned, got holes in it, or looked like something alien.

"Because… you fail at life?" someone suddenly said behind him. He quickly turned around…

And was faced with that annoying black haired girl he'd met in the clearing.

He felt anger rise within him. How dare she say that to him?

"Oh, shut up and get lost!" he sneered, not wanting this girl to see his failure.

He heard a small huffing sound from her and thought she had left, so he went back to baking those crepes, and failing once more.

"You're doing it wrong," he suddenly heard that same voice say, but this time, it was right next to him.

Startled, he looked up at the girl. She, on the other hand, wasn't looking at him, but at the pan.

"What? No, I'm not! I'm following the reci…" he said, but she interrupted him.

"You batter is too thick, and it has lumps in it. The pan is too hot, and you're not using enough oil," she said calmly, still not looking at him.

He was taken aback by the comments for a few moments, before he said, "That is none of your business. So go away!" He didn't need her help.

But the girl didn't go away. Instead she took the pan out of his hands and removed the rest of the batter. Then she looked at the recipe, and began making a new batch.

"Hey! I told you to go away! I don't need your help," he said, but the girl just laughed at him.

"I'm sorry, but it's obvious that you do," came her only reply before she handed him another bowl.

"Come on. I'll show you what to do, and then you'll copy it. A piece of cake! Or should I say 'a piece of _pancake'*_?" The girl laughed.

Mokuba just stared at her while she laughed at her own joke. To the outside world, it looked like he didn't think the pun was funny.

On the inside, however, he was almost choking from held back laughter.

Suddenly, she looked up and their eyes met. She smiled pleasantly at him and held up the bowl. "Ready?" she asked. He nodded, and thus they began cooking.

**_Two hours later._**

"I GIVE UP! You're impossible to teach how to cook! Sheesh, how is it possible to fail this bad?" the girl exclaimed after countless attempts of trying to help Mokuba. He looked at her, infuriated by her words.

"That is…" he tried to say, but the girl cut him off.

"Your problem is that you don't know how to listen when people tell you about your mistakes," she said quickly. Mokuba felt like she had just slapped him. And, quite frankly, it pissed him off, though he remained silent.

"For your own sake, I hope you learn how to cook before you start living on your own. Because until then, I assure you, you'll have to depend on other people to survive," she said, and began cleaning the kitchen.

Mokuba stared at her, slowly taking her words in. Then the anger boiled up in him, and he finally yelled, "You're so full of yourself. You think you know everything? Well, fine, then! I'll learn how to cook, just wait. Soon I'll be able to make any meal possible, and you'll be the one asking me for lessons!"

The girl just took off her apron and said, "Very well."

She looked at him with an almost victorious expression. "I'll be looking forward to that day," she said, a little smile on her face. "Until then, please enjoy the Mille Crêpe* I've made for you."

Mokuba looked at her with a blank stare as she gathered her things. The she said, overly casually and with a hint of arrogance, "After all, cooking _shouldn't_ be so hard for a _great artist_ like _you_. Because cooking _is_ art. Maybe you should think a little about that."

Then she left, Mokuba just staring at her back, realizing she had provoked him into promising her something, and that he now had to put an effort into it.

Also, with a comment like that, he _wanted_ to show the little miss "I'm-so-great-and-a-much-better-artist-than-you-so-I-won't-even-tell-you-my-name" he was a good artist. She was going to eat her words.

Determinedly, he looked back at where the girl had been standing. In front of him was now a plate with what appeared to be a stack of crepes, but with a strange, much bigger crepe covering them. A piece had been cut out, like on a regular cake, and was sticking out a little, so he could get it on a plate.

Quickly looking around, Mokuba eased the piece onto a plate and gasped at the sight.

In between the pancakes were layers of what appeared to be whipped cream and slices of some kind of fruit. Upon having a taste of the strange cake, he discovered it was apple.

"I don't understand… when did she make this?" he wondered out loud, quickly taking another bite. It tasted, if he had to be honest, absolutely amazing! The sweetness of the apples, the lightly salty taste of the crepes, and the smooth and milky taste of the whipped cream… the three combined together made his taste buds sing.

"I… hate… her…!" Mokuba said in between bites.

"_But Kami**, this is good!"_he thought as he helped himself to a second slice.

**…_and magic._**

**_Atem:_**

"Aaaateeeemm?! Is there something you want to tell me?" Yugi asked when he had finally gotten out of his school clothes and was sitting in his room. His voice was cold as ice, and he was glaring.

The spirit in question appeared in front of him, looking everywhere but at Yugi, and fiddling with his fingers. "That party sounds interesting… I can't believe Tea got together with Kaiba… Joey has gotten much better in school, it seems…? Am I getting close?" he answered, a bit nervously.

"Far from! And don't try to sneak out of this… I can sense your lies, if I remember correctly!" Yugi said, crossing his arms.

The spirit sighed. "Well, you _do_ deserve to know… but it's hard to explain, and it's a bit painful for me to talk about," he said.

Yugi's expression got a little bit softer, but his voice was still angry, as he said, "Try. I have to know what we're up against with this pendulum thing."

Atem sighed again. Then he looked at Yugi with a serious expression.

"Okay, I need you to listen very carefully now. As you have probably guessed, there is more than one kind of magic. Actually, there are three," he said.

Yugi looked surprised for a moment, but didn't say anything. The spirit continued.

"First, there is shadow magic, as you know. It's the darkness in people, and what I possessed the most, given as I can't use it anymore, for some kind of reason. It shows in the personality, in other words how we behave around other people. Confidence, arrogance, cruelty… all these personality traits sprout from shadow magic. And I shall be the first to admit that I am too confident for my own good," he said, looking a bit sheepish as he said the last part. Yugi chuckled once.

Atem smiled a little. "Then there's light magic. This is the magic type you possess most of. It shows in kindness, humility, innocence… all the traits you have," he said quietly.

Yugi couldn't help but laugh a little. "You mean before you came and corrupted me," he said, making Atem laugh too.

"Yes, I suppose. But as you lacked shadow magic, being only of light, I lacked the light. While you were in possession of the puzzle, I kept getting little doses of light magic, and you kept getting little doses of shadow magic. Though you're still mostly light, you have gained some of my traits, as I have gained some of yours. As you have probably noticed, it has helped both of us grow," he said, before he once more became serious.

"Shadow magic is, as you know, mainly used to punish people. It is of the dark, and only brings the person it's used on pain," he said, looking into Yugi's eyes, noticing a bit of pain there. A pain he shared. They both knew the pain of an attack of shadow magic, and it wasn't exactly something you wanted to remember. "And if exposed to shadow magic for too long, there's a risk of going insane," he added, though just to sum it up. How many times had they fought against people possessed by shadow magic? Too many, unfortunately.

"Light magic, on the other hand, brings only good, and cannot only hit a single person, but entire cities. It is really a bit similar to miracles," he explained. "Only downside is, that it needs a sacrifice to use, and if too much is used in a short amount of time, it can kill you," he added.

Yugi made a face, and Atem nodded grimly. "All magic takes its sacrifices, Yugi. With shadow magic it alters our ways of looking at right and wrong, and with light magic it is life force... and then there's of course the last type of magic: twilight magic," he said.

Yugi's eyes widened. "Twilight magic…I remember you mentioned that. What does that do?" He asked.

Atem sighed. "This is the part that's hard to explain. You see, I don't know for sure. I have only ever met one user of this type of magic, and she… she…" he whispered, the words getting caught in his throat.

He glanced at Yugi, and saw that the boy was nodding his head in understanding. "The girl with golden eyes… your beloved… and the owner of that pendulum," Yugi said, piecing it all together. Atem sighed, looking sad.

"I only saw her use it a few times, but when she did… I have never been more afraid, yet intrigued. It was amazing…" he whispered, staring into the air, losing himself in memories.

Yugi frowned. "What does twilight magic do? You said there was a sacrifice to each type of magic, so what is it to this?" he asked.

Atem returned to reality and looked at Yugi again. "From what I know, it can go either way," he said, eyes glowing in a strange way.

Yugi looked up, his curiosity stirred. "Either way? What do you mean?" He asked.

Atem sighed. "I don't know that much, but… when she told me about it, twilight magic can, depending on the outcome, hit the user or the one it's used against. Though I don't know if there's another sacrifice, I think _that_ is the sacrifice. The risk of getting hurt yourself, instead of the one you intend to use it on. She also told me that there's usually some kind of reading involved, and that it is that, that determines whether or not you're the one getting hit," he said.

Yugi still looked confused, and Atem sighed again. "As I said, it's complicated. Maybe Ishizu can tell us a bit about it… those tomb keeper families did save a lot of information about the Millennium Items… maybe they know something about all these pendulum problems," he said.

Yugi nodded once. "It's all very strange… and you think Una emitted twilight magic earlier?" he asked.

"I'm not sure… it could have been some kind of blast from her aura or natural, but weak, magical powers inherent from birth… it was quite common in my time, but I don't know how it is now," Atem said, rubbing his forehead.

Yugi tilted his head to the side, grabbing his chin lightly as he too entered a state of deep thinking. For a little while the two sat like that, until a loud ringtone sounded through the room.

"What in the name of Ra is that?" Atem asked.

"My mobile phone is ringing. Let's see… ah, it's Tea," Yugi said, as he picked up the phone.

**_Yugi:_**

"What's up, Tea?" he asked, as soon as he hit the receive button.

**"Emi Koroki has woken up from her coma!"** Tea yelled.

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><p><strong>*Mille Crêpe: French. A special cake made out of multiple layers of crêpes and a type of custard filling.<strong>

****Kami: God in Japanese.**

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**Cliffhanger time! Emi has awoken, now what is going to happen? I know what, but I'm not telling!

**Shameless advertising: **I wrote a poem. Yes, a poem. Nothing fanfic related, but a poem, directly from my brain. And I am going to write more.

why am I telling you this? Well, I would _love_ if you would take a second to check it out! I uploaded it on my DeviantArt profile, so... the link:

nordictwin. deviantart #/d5h9q4l

I you do go and read it, I would love to hear what you guys think! Send me a PM, leave a review or, if you have a DA profile too, leave a comment on it XD

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, Dynasty-Feral, SerenePanic, The Queen of Water, ThunderNinjaBird, Crystalbird1769, anna the viking XD, xxxPureRosexxx<strong>_and **_LilyAllycia._**

It's all your fault! ... It's all your fault, that I have more reviews, than stories that has been on here for much longer, and has more chapters than this! XD ;) ^^ Thank yooooouuuuu!

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><p><em><strong>See you all next time!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	32. The truth about Emi

_**A/N:** _Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, but at last, here is the next chapter of The Crystal Items.

I have many different reasons as to why there haven't been a new chapter in almost a month. They include writer's block, laziness, school and sorrow. Please note that the laziness was caused by school work, because I need my time to just relax an derp around You Tube. But they're just bad excuses. Writer's block... come on, we know all about them, and I'll spare you the details. (Okay, maybe it wasn't writer's block, as much as it was laziness, too.)_  
><em>

Sorrow, however... that's something that has hit me hard. You see, my grandmother has just been diagnosed with a rare type of lung cancer. I'll spare you the details but... she's not going to survive it. So that's why I've been a bit down and in no mood to write. I love my granny very much, and she's the last grandparent I have left... it's going to be very empty for me, once she's gone. All I can do now, is pray for her to be in as little pain as possible.

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><p>Depressing news aside, sorry for that, but life hasn't been bad for me either :) You've probably noticed I deleted my little "good bye". The reason for that is, that I didn't lose her at all! I know her e-mail now, so we still talk like we used to. It's great!<p>

Also, please give a warm welcome to Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry, my new beta. She's a reader of The Crystal Items, which is why I chose her. Because there's no chance, I'd let my work in the hands of a stranger, who knows _nothing _about my story. So welcome on the team!

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><p>Okay, let's get to the important part. The story. Please enjoy!<br>_**Nordic Twin owns nothing except plot and OC's.**_

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><p><em><strong>The truth about Emi<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

It was a very worn out and tired Yugi, who threw himself on his couch later that evening. Above him hovered Atem, equally tired.

For a while, none of them spoke. The minutes passed, and eventually they were joined by Solomon, bringing in dinner for the tired boy. Still not speaking, Yugi slowly sat up and ate. He noticed his hands were shaking, and his heart was still beating like crazy. But part of that, might have come from Atem, who was going through an extreme amount of stress and confusion.

Still none of them spoke. Solomon watched the boy eat, Atem was pacing in the air and Yugi was too deep in his thoughts, to notice much. Finally, after an hour and a finished meal, he spoke.

"Well, that was… strange, to say the least," Yugi said, his voice shaking a bit.

Atem snorted. "You don't say," he said sarcastically. Yugi rolled his eyes.

"What happened, my boy?" Solomon asked, as he studied his grandchild's tired expression, of course not seeing or hearing the spirit above him.

Yugi sighed. "So many things, grandpa. So many… strange things. Confusing things. Literally, _mind blowing _things," he said, grabbing his head. "None of them make any sense!" He exclaimed.

Solomon patted the boys arm. "Sounds like a normal day from last year and back then, you had no problems explaining what had happened during the day," the old man said, silently asking the boy to telling him what had happened.

Yugi sighed and looked up. Then he slowly began getting everything off his heart.

**Flashback:**

_Yugi ran through the doors to the hospital, and was immediately met by Tea. Her eyes were frantic, and she was panting._

"_It's unbelievable! She's actually awake and aware! She can do everything she could before the coma, as if she never went into one. If it wasn't for the small injuries, it's like she was never attacked," Tea said quickly. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself._

"_She's a bit… different, though. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing," she said, suddenly looking nervous._

"_Changed, how?" Yugi asked, before Atem took over for a second._

"_Please, bring us to her. I want to see this girl, you've all been talking about," he said, before he retreated and let Yugi get his body back._

"_I'll let you see for yourself, or rather, yourselves. Seriously, it's so strange…" Tea said, tracing off, as they began walking towards the ward._

**End of Flashback.**

"When we entered, Emi was indeed awake and aware. But something was different, I could tell immediately," Yugi said, frowning.

"What was different?" Solomon asked curiously.

Yugi frowned again. "She was _smiling _of all things. _Smiling_!"

**Flashback:**

_The girl sitting in the white bed looked up from her book, at the sound of the door opening. She sent them a friendly smile._

"_Good afternoon, Mutou-kun. Welcome back, Gardner-san," she greeted, placing her bookmark on the page she had been reading, and placed the book on a nearby table. "What has caused me to have the honor, of a visit from the class president?" She asked, bowing her head, since she couldn't bow to them._

_Yugi stood in the doorway, completely stunned. Never had he thought Emi of all people, would say something like that, let alone bow to anyone. What in the name of Ra happened to her?_

"_Emi…" he said in a weak voice, as he stepped further into the little, white room. "What happened to you?"_

_Emi tilted her head to the side, and looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean, Mutou-kun?" She asked, her eyes wide and innocent looking._

"_Do you… do you have any idea how you got here?" He asked, gesturing to the ward around them._

_Emi frowned a little, lightly grabbing the skin under her chin, as she looked like she was deep in thought._

"_Well, I remember a little. I had been really mean to that new, nice girl in our class… Yamagawa-san, yes, that's right… I have to apologize to her," she said, mumbling the last part._

_Yugi looked at her with curiosity, but also with worry and anxiety. They needed to know something about this crystal pendulum, and until Atem remembered more and they got answer from Ishizu, Emi was their best opportunity to get some information on it._

"_Do you remember anything else? If you do, would you please tell us? It's very important," Yugi said, being careful not to sound like he was interrogating her._

_Emi smiled, as Tea sat down on the bed next to Emi legs. A flat part on the cover indicated she had sat there earlier. "It is quite all right, but I don't remember much else, other than a nice warm glow… and a pleasant voice telling me it is all right to feel sad, and show my actual past," Emi said, folding her hands and closing her eyes. With her now pale face and the obvious weight loss the coma had caused, she looked almost like a ghost when she sat like that._

**End of Flashback.**

"Her actual past?" Solomon asked, confusedly. He had heard quite a bit about Emi over the years, and from what Yugi had told him, she was a rather spoiled girl, already living on her own because some distant relative paid for an apartment.

Atem took over for a little while, to add in with his thoughts. "It shocked me, too," he said, looking serious. He too had heard about Emi, but from Yugi's memories. So what he had learned had been a big surprise. "But apparently Emi is neither rich, nor spoiled at all. In fact, she grew up in…"

**Flashback:**

"_A temple?!" Yugi repeated, not able to keep the shock down. Emi just nodded, looking a bit sad._

"_You see, when I was only four years old, my mom died because of some illness. I don't know what it was, and I was too little to be told or to understand. All I know is that one day she was looking fine and happy, but in a matter of seconds… fainted, on the kitchen floor… she was shaking…" Emi whispered, tears forming in her eyes._

_In an almost motherly way, Tea grabbed Emi's hand and gave them a gentle squeeze, as the former mean girl stared to sob._

_Tea continued to comfort the crying girl, and said: "It's all right, you don't have to tell us if it's…"_

"_No!" Emi cut her off. "I… I want to tell you, I think it will help me…" she said, drying her tears away._

"_The neighbors heard me cry, and they called for an ambulance. For three days, I didn't leave my mom's side. When she was awake, she would smile at me and tell me it was nothing. But three days later… she was cold. Dead. She would never open her eyes for me. And since I had no close relatives to take me in, I was brought to an orphanage, where a nun found me and brought me to the temple," she said, looking calmer by each word, as if a heavy burden had just been lifted from her shoulders. and maybe that was actually the case._

**End of Flashback.**

"What about her father?" Solomon asked, leaning back in the chair.

Yugi took over again, and he immediately frowned. "He apparently left Emi and her mother before she was born. Some drunkard I think. It was what Emi said her mother told her, anyways," Yugi said, going quickly over that subject. He was concerned about other things.

"I can't believe none knew… Emi told us she worked every day to survive, but the apartment was given to her by the nun who took her in as her own. But only because Emi demanded it," Atem added, quickly taking control. "She was feeling so much regret for treating her new family like that".

Solomon just nodded. "Pain can change people in horrible ways," he said quietly.

Yugi once more took control of his body. "Yeah, but that's not all, grandpa. Guess what she wanted to do," he said.

**Flashback:**

"_Become a nun?!" Both Yugi and Tea exclaimed, as Emi told them her wish._

"_Yes. I want to become a nun. To return to the temple and reunite with Sister Rimiko, the nun who took me in. I was terrible to her before I left, so this will be my way of apologizing," she said, looking sad as she thought of the nun. "She was like a mother to me, always there to protect me"._

_Yugi didn't know what to say, but luckily Tea did._

"_Are you sure? It's a big decision. And you have just woken up…" she said in a friendly way._

_Emi smiled at them. "Yes I am. I have actually talked with Rimiko-sama and a doctor. He told me it was okay to return to the temple, and Rimiko-sama was thrilled to hear I will return home," she said._

_Yugi nodded once. "Well, if that is what you wish," he said, before he stood and began to walk out of the ward._

"_Yugi…" Tea said._

"_It is what she wishes, Tea. We have no right to try to convince her to do something else, when it is clearly something she wishes of her own will. It is her choice, and I respect that," Yugi a bit sternly, as he knew she wanted Emi to come back to Domino High, for some unknown reason._

_Emi smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Mutou-kun. Then you'll inform the principal of my choice?" She said._

_Yugi smiled at Emi. "Of course. Come on, Tea. Emi needs her rest," he said, opening the door._

_Tea didn't answer him. Instead she sent Emi a little smile, patted her hand and walked out the door quickly._

**End of Flashback.**

_**Solomon:**_

Solomon sat there, staring at his grandchild. The way he had acted at the hospital, commanding and polite, was almost like… like a king.

"That spirit is rubbing off on you, my boy," he stated matter of factly, chuckling a little bit.

For a moment it looked like Yugi was going to protest, but cut himself off. Or maybe the pharaoh had, it was a possibility. It was quite difficult to see when Yugi was thinking or talking with his other half. The little frown and changing facial expressions could both be signs of him being deep in thought, or reacting to something the Pharaoh had said.

After a little while, the boy looked at him again, sighing. "Is it a good or bad thing? Atem wants to know," he said and rubbed his head.

"The way I look at it, it's a good thing. You both influence each other in ways, which gives you new strengths. You, Yugi, needed more confidence and you've gotten it. On the other hand, the Pharaoh needed to learn how to be humble. It's like yin and yang. Light and dark in balance, one influencing the other without changing," Solomon said, he rose from the chair and left his grandson to his thoughts.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi sat silently for a few moments, pondering over his grandfather's words. After a little while, Atem appeared from the crystal.

"I guess he's right," the spirit said to no one in particular. He was just stating things. Yugi nodded a little.

"It reminds me a bit of what you said about Twilight Magic," Yugi suddenly said.

Atem looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, it can go either way as you said. It can do good or bad, depending on the person wielding it. And twilight is the uniting of night and day, dark and light," Yugi said, crossing his arms and legs.

Atem mirrored the position, only he was hovering in the air. For a few minutes, none of them said anything.

Finally, Yugi sighed.

"I guess there's no use in thinking more about... everything, really. Emi's awakening, her story, her choice… and now all this sudden talk about yin and yang. So much has happened today, and I am in dire need of sleep. If I don't get to bed soon, I fear I'll collapse. What do you say, we let it go for tonight and get some well-deserved rest?" said Yugi, looking at the spirit.

Atem looked down at him the same time a yawn sneaked its way out of him. "Sounds like… like a good plan," he said, yawning again. "I'll see you in the morning," he mumbled, before going into the crystal.

Yugi soon felt a heavy layer of sleepiness fall over him, as the spirit probably had fallen asleep. Shortly after he rose from his seat and went to bed.

_**Fortuna:**_

"_I knew she'd be happy about the change. She's going back to her family," _Fortuna thought as she watched Emi sleeping soundly in her bed.

"_But at what costs? It wasn't truly her choice, and you know that," _the other voice said. Fortuna sighed.

"_Look, Emi is a sweet girl now. She'll be in a better place, have a mother, grow up in safety… trust me, this is best for her," _she thought, trying to reason with the stubborn voice.

"_That doesn't change the fact that it is wrong," _the voice said, before it slipped away into unconsciousness.

Fortuna looked at the girl in the hospital bed. Then she looked at the pendulum in her hand. Then back at Emi. She sighed.

"I'm sorry, but it's the only way to protect us. I promised myself, I would keep you out of pain… and by changing Emi and Sobokuna, I have done that. Please understand… I don't want to lose another one," she whispered and slipped into the night.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**That's it for this time, but don't worry: I've already written 4 pages of the next chapter, so it shouldn't take _too _long. Unless school suddenly decides to be evil and dumps a load of homework on me again...

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks: Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, The Queen of Water, mika . laylani, Crystalbird1769, SerenePanic, ThunderNinjaBird, anna the viking XD, xxxPureRosexxx.<em>**

I love all of you. You encourage and support me, so I keep writing. Thank you!

_**Extra special special thanks!:**_I don't know if you've noticed it, but my review count has passed 200! 200 reviews! "But how is this possible?", you might think. Well, the answer is one person: **_Shadow Realm Triforce._**This wonderful, awesome, amazing person did not only read all of the chapters so far, she reviewed. Every. Single. One of them! All the chapters! It is so cool, and I love her for it. You go girl!

Also, thank you so much for the kind words you wrote to me, when I announced the assumed loss of a friend. It really helped me return to my normal, happy self. SO thanks for that!

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><p><strong><em>See you all next time!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	33. Unpleasant surprises

_**A/N:** _Arriving from the caves of a weird teen's brain, it is the next chapter of The Crystal Items: Pendulum! (And then the world was evacuated, no I'm just kidding!)

I am in the middle of a creative wave, so the next chapter is already being beta'd. Wrote it yesterday... and procastinated my homework. But I deserve a bit of time to write, now! I just got my first high school grades, and they were great XD I even got an A in social studies. _And _I have been chosen to be a part of something called the Academy for Talented Young people! It's a bit like an advanced class, where the teachers and the principal choose the first year students, they think have showed an extra interest in learning :) They even have summer camps and everything. I'm so excited! But fear not, they only meet about once a month, so I will still be writing.

Well, not much else from me. Enjoy the chapter.

_**Nordic Twin owns nothing but plot and OC's.**_

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><p><em><strong>Unpleasant surprises<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

It was the day after Emi had woken up from her coma. Yugi stood in front of the principal, with the other class presidents. The older man was frowning.

"Are all the class presidents gathered here? Are we missing anyone?" He asked, looking at them all.

A girl raised her hand and obediently said: "Sir, Kokatsuna-san isn't here".

The principal's frown deepened. "That was what I wanted to gather you all about," he said, sitting down in his chair.

"Why, has something happened to her?" Yugi then asked, knowing Atem was listening intently to all of this.

The principal nodded. "Yes, something has indeed happened to her," he said, standing again. He stood with his back to the students, his posture that of a stoic and serious man.

"This morning I was contacted by Kokatsuna's mother, who had found her unconscious on the floor in their living room. She is currently in hospital, but the doctors have informed us, that the girl has slipped into a kind of coma, though nothing seems wrong with her," he said, turning around to face the class presidents, his expression grave.

Yugi felt his heart beat faster. A coma… found unconscious… could this have been…

The other students exchanged worried looks.

_~Another attack from the Crystal Pendulum? Most likely~ _Atem said through the mind link, finishing his train of thoughts. Yugi frowned.

_~Then I guess we'll have to be on guard, now. That's two attacks in two weeks. I really hope we hear from Ishizu soon~ _he said, studying the shocked looks on the other students' faces.

"It is of utmost importance, that you keep quiet of this. If anyone asks, Kokatsuna got food poisoning and had to go to hospital for a while, understood?" The principal said.

Yugi almost subconsciously raised his hand and said: "But sir, that seems wrong. Why not just tell them the truth? We all know something similar happened to Emi". When the words were out, the other class presidents mumbled their agreements.

The principal looked at Yugi with a serious expression. "And that is why we must keep this quiet. I don't want to upset anyone with these two similar cases," he said. Some were about to protest, but were stopped by the man, as he said: "In any other way, it's the wish of Kokatsuna's mother. She's very upset because of this, and asked me to keep the rumors on a minimum. And I can't go against her wishes".

Yugi looked directly into the principal's eyes, and he into Yugi's. He immediately saw the same emotions, as he was sure the principal could see in his own eyes, too. That it was wrong to lie about this, that the students deserved to know the truth.

But their hands were bound; Yugi and the others by the principal's orders, and the principal from Mrs. Kokatsuna.

So Yugi did what he thought seemed fitting. He left to get back to class.

**This is your friendly neighborhood timeskip. Sorry for the interruption.**

_**Atem:**_

Atem was mindlessly walking around in his crystal. As it in reality wasn't just a small crystal, though it looked like it from the outside, but an endless amount of space, he had the room to do so. He was currently surrounded by sand, having manipulated the purple space to look like the desert behind his palace.

"Why does all of this remind me of something?" He said out loud, not caring if Yugi could hear him or not. The boy was more or less unconscious, so he couldn't really listen to him anyways.

_~Because it does~ _A voice suddenly said behind him.

Atem jumped and turned around quickly only to stand face to face, or rather face to eyes, with the goddess he had met the first time he woke up in the bubble. And just like that day, the only he could see clearly of the being, was its eyes.

"You… you're the goddess… but what are you doing here?" He asked, looking up at her.

She giggled. _~Just answering your question, little pharaoh. All of this… the Crystal Pendulum, the visions, and even this desert… it all reminds you of the one you lost~ _She said teasingly.

Atem frowned. "How? How do you know this? Who are you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at her.

Again she giggled, his questions apparently seemed funny to her._"Is this all a game to her?" _He thought angrily.

She stopped giggling and her eyes shone with a mischievous glint. Something told him, that she was grinning at him. _~And we have a winner! Congratulations, spirit, you figured it out!~ _She exclaimed, clapping noises coming from her. _~This is, indeed, all a game. A game I can't wait to know the ending of~._

Atem stared at her, not able to believe his own ears. He remembered, she told him, she wasn't a goddess worthy of praise. Did that make her evil? Was he just a little piece in her game?

"What is your role in this?" He demanded, skipping all politeness.

The goddess sighed. _~So impatient,~ _and rolled her eyes. _~My role in this is bigger than you think, but for now I must remain in the shadows and watch. It is not my turn yet,~ _she explained, before she turned around.

Atem reached his hand out, trying to grab her. Though he didn't trust her, he still had so many questions. Maybe she could answer them. "Wait, where are you going?" He asked.

She looked over her shoulder at him. A glint of pearly white emerged from the mist. She was smiling at him.

_~Soon, pharaoh. Soon. But not yet, just be patient. All will be clear in the end,~ _she whispered in his mind.

Then out of the blue a spear appeared in her hand.

It was longer than she was tall and the staff appeared to be as wide as his fist, though the end of it narrowed into a sharp point. The tip of the spear was as long as a head and kind of looked like a spades. Atem had no doubt that if that spear was used in battle, the opponent would have no chance of survival. It wasn't the spear's appearance itself that stunned Atem though.

It was that it shone with a silvery-blue light and was made of crystal.

Crystal!

"That spear…" he whispered.

The goddess winked at him, before she turned her back to him again.

_~Open portal!~ _She yelled.

A blinding light surrounded him, and all he could hear was the crackling of magic in the air. When the light was gone again, the goddess was gone without a trace. Atem stared into the air.

"A crystal spear…! There's a crystal. Spear!" He whispered.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi was lying on his couch drifting in and out of sleep. It hadn't been a particularly long day, but the news of the attack on Sobokuna Kokatsuna had tapped quite a bit of his energy. The day had been hectic with all of the questions, and all he longed for now, was a nice warm bath, a good meal and a good, long night of sleep. He was about to drift off completely, when he felt distress from Atem.

He bolted up immediately, all feelings of tiredness gone, and was on guard. "What is it?" He asked, looking around as if enemies were there.

_~A spear! There's a Crystal Spear!~ _Atem yelled, sounding both exited and scared.

Yugi widened his eyes in shock. "How do you know this?" He asked, as the spirit materialized in front of him.

"Remember that goddess who visited me on the first day?" He asked. Yugi just nodded. "I saw her… again! And when she left, she used some kind of spear to open a portal, I think. I was blinded by a strong light, so I didn't really see it. But she yelled "open portal" before I was blinded, so think that was what happened".

Yugi got an eager look in his eyes, though they also held concern. "I don't really know if these are good, or bad news. But it's definitely something we can use. I must inform the others of this," he said, getting up from the couch and walking towards his room and computer. However, he didn't get far, as the doorbell rang. Shortly after Solomon yelled: "Yugi, there's a package for you!"

Yugi calmly walked down stairs to get the package. He assumed it was from Pegasus, and took it with his natural attitude. Whenever Pegasus sent something, it wasn't really that important, but a nice surprise.

Only a few minutes later, Yugi stormed into his room and found the spirit hanging around.

"What's wrong?!" Atem said, hovering over the boy, who was searching through his bag.

"Not now, Atem. Where's my phone?! I swear, it was here seconds ago!" Yugi said, emptying the bag completely.

"You put it on your desk when you got home, Yugi," Atem said calmly.

Yugi looked up, grabbed the little device and mumbled a quick thank you. He pressed a few numbers and put it to his ear.

"Tea, get the others and meet me here in 15 minutes. Ishizu has sent a package!" He almost yelled. "What's in it? Only a book about the crystal items... yes, I said _items_. Plural… yes, please hurry, thank you".

Yugi ended the conversation and looked up at Atem. "Turns out you're right, Atem. There are apparently more than one crystal item," he said, rubbing his forehead.

Atem appeared to be in a state of shock. "And the book Ishizu sent…" he whispered.

"Tells us all we need to know about them," Yugi finished for him.

Atem grinned. "This is great!" He exclaimed. "Now we'll be a step in front of the attacker".

At this Yugi frowned, but he didn't say anything. He was thinking about the letter Ishizu had sent with the package.

_**Dear Yugi Mutou.**_

_**I hope this package and letter finds you and Pharaoh Atem in a healthy state. If not, I wish for you to overcome the illness, you might have, soon.**_

_**As you probably know, Tea wrote to me, and told me about the situation you're all in, including the return of the Pharaoh. But since I no longer bear the Millennium Necklace, I cannot see the future and help you in that way. For that, I am sorry.**_

_**However, my brothers and I do have another way of helping you. That is what the package contains.**_

_**I must warn you though. The path, you are going down right now, is quite dangerous, and so are the magic you are bound to face. The magic of twilight is not something you should take lightly, as it is highly unpredictable. And though the tomb keeper families know of its existence, we know only a little part of it.**_

_**This book, however, was written before the first battle for the Millennium Items, when Pharaoh Atem was still a prince. We do not know who wrote it, but they protected it with very strong magic. This particular spell has made it, so only the first few pages are visible to tomb keeper and normal man. The rest are blank.**_

_**Because of this, all we know about this book and the items it tells about is that they are connected with Twilight Magic, and are very powerful. It also says that only a select few can wield these strange items. We don't know if the same goes for this book, but we doubt it. The reason is the words written on the first page. What they say, I will let you read for yourself.**_

_**I am sorry; I can't be of more help. But I hope this will at least give you a clue, to what steps you shall take next.**_

_**Please be careful.**_

_**Until we see each other again.**_

_**Ishizu Ishtar.**_

Yugi sighed quietly, ignoring the excited spirit for a few moments. Then his face set in a determined expression.

"_This is something I must do, to prevent any new attacks on… half innocents. And perhaps… help Atem to find peace in his heart, and remember that girl he loved so dearly," _Yugi thought, sneaking a glance at the pharaoh.

Somewhere in the distance, his silent vow was heard.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ Things are getting up in a higher tempo, now. The book of The Crystal Items... what wonders could it contain? I know it, but you'll have to wait! Mwahaha!

Turns out I made a liar out of myself. I promised you wouldn't see the goddess again, but I realized she is too big a part of all this, to keep her out of it. So enjoy her reappearance and another hint at the next story.

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks: Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry, riku'sgirl19, SerenePanic, Shadow Realm Triforce, Princess Hime, rainbowrunner01<em>**where do all these new readers/reviewers come from? Am I really that good of a writer?**_, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, Chococatx33_**another new reader :D**_, ThunderNinjaBird, Crystalbird1769._**

You are all amazing. Cheers for your awesomeness!

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><p><strong><em>See ya' all next time!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	34. The letter

_**A/N:** _Guess what day it is? It's _update-day_ that's what it is!

I don't have much to say about this chapter, or my life for that matter. But a little warning: this chapter is slightly depressing, and Atem might be a bit OOC. More whiny and in misery. Sorry for that, but with what happens in this chapter, I think you'll forgive me.

_**Nordic Twin owns nothing but plot and OCs.**_

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><p><em><strong>The letter<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Everyone was silently looking at the large book lying on the table. Tea, Tristan, Joey and Yugi, and Atem who was sitting a little above the table, all just staring at it, trying to comprehend what kind of book it truly was.

"Looks pretty harmless to me," Joey said after a little while with a shrug.

Tristan frowned. "Yeah, but the letter clearly said it wasn't. And we all know we should take Ishizu's warnings seriously," he said, gesturing to the piece of paper lying on Yugi's bedside table.

As soon as the other's had arrived, Yugi had shown them the letter from Ishizu. At first they had all been shocked, then intrigued, and at last in a state of awe, as they looked at the book, that could tell them so much about the Crystal Pendulum, and so much more.

The book itself was several pieces of parchment fastened to a soft plate, made out of some kind of shining metal, and covered in dark brown, almost black, leather. Delicate hieroglyphs and signs were cut into the leather, making the metal show. It looked like something taken out of a fairytale or a movie.

"The Crystal Items…" Yugi whispered, letting his fingers glide lightly over the hieroglyphs.

"What?" Tea asked.

Yugi was staring intently at the hieroglyphs. "It's what the title says… I can read it…" he whispered.

He sensed Atem tense up and rolled his eyes at the spirit. _~Calm down, Atem. I only just found out, but I'm really not that surprised,~ _he said through the mind link, turning his eyes back to the book.

_~You're not? Why?~ _Atem asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

_~The fact that you both speak and read ancient Egyptian, made me assume I would be able to speak it too, considering the amount of time we've been influencing each other,~ _Yugi stated matter-of-factly.

Atem stared at Yugi with a blank expression. It had never occurred to him, he would eventually give the boy some his basic abilities.

"Well, are you gonna open this book or not?" Joey asked, as Yugi had been staring at the book for 5 minutes straight.

It seemed to pull both boy and spirit out of their spaced out stages. "Yeah… of course," Yugi said, laughing uneasily, as he reached out for the book.

It was as if time stood still, when he grabbed the cover of the book. They were all holding their breaths, as he slowly began turning the leather covered metal. Who knew what the first page would reveal of mysterious things? Ishizu _had _said it was dangerous…

The book slowly began to glow as Yugi opened it. When it was finally completely open, a flash shot through the room. Atem quickly went to protect his partner, as Yugi pulled his arms up in front of his eyes to protect them. Tea shrieked a little, while Tristan and Joey grunted, as they too protected their eyes from the golden light.

After a little while the light subsided, but it was as if the other lights in the room had been dimmed, because everything around them seemed much darker. Only the faint, pulsating light from the book lit up the room.

"What… was that?" Joey asked, as he slowly opened his eyes.

"I don't know, but look!" Tea said, pointing at the first page, where a little line of hieroglyphs was forming.

Yugi didn't have to look for long, before he could read it. And what it said surprised him.

"To my one true love, Atem…" he whispered, as he read the words aloud.

_**Atem:**_

Atem was staring wide eyed at the page, where his name suddenly appeared.

"This is…" he whispered, has even more hieroglyphs appeared on the page, forming what appeared to be a letter addressed to him.

Suddenly something pulled him forwards, and he found himself in charge of the body. "What in the name of Obelisk are you doing?" He asked, looking at Yugi, who was now hovering in the exact same place he had been seconds before.

_~Atem, you should read this for yourself. It is your letter, and something personal. Just explain to our friends what it is… they'll understand,~ _Yugi said calmly.

Atem couldn't help but feel gratitude towards his partner, and nodded once. Then he quickly explained it to Tea, Tristan and Joey, who smiled at him with understanding looks in their eyes.

"Take your time… we won't interrupt," Tea said, taking a few steps back. Tristan and Joey did the same, but plopped down on the floor, closing their eyes. Only Yugi kept his eyes on the book with Atem, but they both knew Yugi would be extremely quiet.

"Thank you," Atem whispered, as he turned his gaze to the letter and began reading.

_**My dearest Atem, Pharaoh of Egypt.**_

_**When you're reading this, as much as it pains me to admit, I will be dead. For how long I do not know, because I'm leaving this in the hands of Priestess Isis, with the wish she will give it to you, once you're ready. I can only hope it is not for too long, so you haven't completely forgotten me. Or maybe I do want you to have forgotten me, when you get this. Less painful for you to read, then, if it is just a book from a stranger.**_

_**Before I begin telling you about my pendulum and its sister items, I would like to tell you how much this one year in your presence has meant to me. Before I came here and met you, my life was a living hell. I was always scared, running, fighting for my own existence… only because of my powers and the pendulum. But you… you made me forget all of that pain.**_

Little, dark spots of what appeared to be tears began showing on the page.

_**At first I was so cruel to you. I hurt you, yelled at you… I even almost killed you… and still, you forgave me and slowly broke down the walls, I had built around my fragile heart. You taught me how to love and trust again. You showed me the wonders of being in love… and in the end you taught me how to show that love. Oh, my beloved Pharaoh, my Lord, no…**_

_**My Atem.**_

_**It pains me to know, that I can't keep my promise, because of the curse all this power has given me. I know I promised we would always be together, growing old and ruling Egypt side by side. I know it would have been perfect. But alas, I have to leave you in the worst way possible. By death.**_

Atem felt a stab at his heart. These words… they reminded him of someone very important. Someone he would have given everything.

_**I am writing this in the dead of night, by our secret spot by the Nile. You know… where it bends, under the bushes, and where you can't be seen. It is the last time I will see this place, and it pains me so much. Even more, that you aren't here to hold me close and tell me everything will be fine. But I know it won't. At dawn they will come for me and kill me.**_

_**I am so scared it hurts. Scared of what they'll do to me, scared of the pain, scared of leaving you alone to rule the country. Funny, I can't remember the last time I was truly scared… I guess you have just been making me feel so safe, I forgot how it felt. Since when did I turn so weak? I almost killed Priest Seto, for Jupiter's* sake… that's Ra to me, if you have forgotten about my past.**_

_**It's been a week since you caught me at the temple, where I gave up my soul. A week since I hurt you. I wonder if you've forgiven me, I haven't seen you all week. I have been hiding, but you've always found me before, but not this time. Maybe it's for the best, if you hate me now. I hate myself, too. I can't believe what, I did to you. It hurt so much to just leave you there, unconscious.**_

_**My Pharaoh, my Prince… Atem. Won't you… won't you…**_

The tears had almost washed all of the ink away, and it became difficult for Atem to read. Mostly because he felt his eyes flood with tears too, as he read the letter. He knew who had written it, and it pained him to know the truth.

"Oh, my beloved… why… why?!" Atem whispered in a pained voice, as he kept reading.

_**Won't you let me call you my only love, just this one last time, so I don't feel like there's such a great distance between us? Won't you come and hold me close, just like you've always done, since I washed up on the shore? Won't you please prevent me from dying under the morning sun? Just months ago I was ready to die at any moment, but now… now I want to stay, with all of my heart I am wishing to stay right here.**_

_**I once asked Isis, if there is a way to change fate… she said there wasn't. So I guess, I just have to take this with my head held high. I just hope you aren't there to see me get killed.**_

"_A sad smile. She was smiling sadly, while she wrote this. Accepting her fate, that stupid, lovable girl. She was probably smiling in the same way, as when I held her as she… as she bled… and died in my arms… oh, my Love!" _Atem thought, a pained expression crossing his face and a whimper escaping his throat. He didn't even notice the others were studying him intensely, as his inner pain became obvious.

_**This isn't good bye, you know. Well, I don't hope so. You see, when you caught me in the temple, I created something called the soul drop. It is something people, who possess great magic, can create. And I offered mine to the gods, to be able to travel as a spirit. This means I've given up my afterlife, in change of becoming a guardian spirit of my reincarnations, or to be with someone in another person's afterlife. In my case, yours. That is, if you want me there.**_

_**I don't know when you'll die, so I'll wait for you for a hundred years in a state of hibernation. If I haven't woken up with you by then, I guess you don't want me there, and then I'll take up my duty as guardian spirit. Until then, I am going to have a nice long nap, and pretend you're holding me.**_

_**I love you so much, Atem, I really do. You have made me the happiest woman to ever live. You made me see the light again, and helped heal my old wounds. I feel so alive again, instead of just being in misery all the time. But I guess the gods just won't let me… I truly am a cursed being. My parents left me on the streets of Rome, my adoptive mother and little sister was murdered by soldiers, even though I tried to protect them, leaving me alone again. And now, when I've finally found love and happiness again, it is my turn to be killed. Why, oh why, does it have to be like this? I don't want to die! I don't want to leave you, my dearest Atem!**_

_**I wish, I could turn back and be found by you by the Nile again. Maybe if I haven't fled, things would have been different. Maybe the people would have accepted me, then. Me and my golden eyes and hair, pale skin and strange magic. And this stupid pendulum. At least I can take it with me where I'm going, by using my twilight magic.**_

The tear stains had ceased a little, but Atem's own tears were soon to replace them. He couldn't believe what he was reading. She had waited for him... all while he had locked himself away in the puzzle. And she had given up so much for him, too! Her own afterlife and most of her soul… just to be with him for all eternity, it was too much for him, but he had to keep reading.

_**It is getting very late, now. The moon is almost above me, shining down on me like a big, white torch. I am getting tired, but I fear sleep. I am afraid, that when I wake up, I will see angry people, so I can't face them with my head held high. I do not intend to run. My fate is to die when the first harvest sun rises.**_

_**I know, I promised to tell you about The Crystal Items. How I wish, I could do that in person, but I can't. So I have transferred all my knowledge about Twilight Magic and the Crystal Items into this book. It is only these first pages, my message to you, I write in hand. All of the other pages are enchanted, so only you can read them. I don't want anyone else but you to read them, because I know you will use the powers, they give, for good.**_

_**It is time for me to go now. They'll come for me in a few hours. I only hope you'll be somewhere safe, when it happens, and not rushing to my side, to try to save me. It is not how it's supposed to be.**_

_**My Lord, my Prince, my Pharaoh… my Love… my dearest… I am going to miss you so much. But I will always love you, forever, and ever, and ever. Not even the gods will be able to keep us apart. And someday, we'll meet again. I promise.**_

_**Until we meet again, my Prince.**_

"Signed, _**F**_," Atem said out loud, as he finished reading the letter.

He quickly rose from the chair and fled the room. He stormed out of the door and ran down the street, until he reached a nearby park. Only then, did he stop, and leaned against a tree, tears running down his face.

_**Yugi:**_

"Atem!" Yugi called, looking around for the spirit in his body. It wasn't good. Why on Earth had he run away like that? He knew the letter had brought pain to Atem, it was obvious, but he had no idea he would just run off like that.

After a while, though, he spotted him standing under a tree, silently weeping.

"Atem, what happened? You can't just run off with our body like that!" Yugi said, hurrying over to him.

Atem sucked a sharp breath in. "I'm… I'm sorry, but… that letter…" Atem whispered, another stream of tears running down his cheeks. "It was from _her_!"

Yugi's expression immediately changed from confused to understanding and worried. "That girl you were in love with?" He asked. Atem nodded.

"It made me remember so much about our time together. I proposed to her, and she accepted, did you know that? I was getting married!" He laughed humorlessly, throwing his arms around himself, as if trying to embrace an imaginary figure.

Yugi's eyes widened. "Really?" He had never thought, Atem would have considered marriage. But of course, he had loved the girl. Why wouldn't he want to marry?

Atem just nodded again. "Yes… and I remembered that she… she died in my arms. My people feared her, called her an evil being because of her strength, so they killed her! And I… I tried to save her, but I was too late". His eyes shone with a hidden fury, but also pain and bitterness. This girl had really sparked something in him.

Yugi put a translucent hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry, Atem," he said, feeling the spirit's pain through the crystal around his neck.

Atem smiled sadly. "It just hurts to remember all of the pain she endured. I remember most of it from her rare tales about her past, but also newer things, I've never known. She was waiting for me, Yugi. She gave up her afterlife to be together with me in mine, but since I was sealed in the puzzle… she waited for a hundred years, before she eventually had to move on," he whispered, hugging himself. "She must hate me so much. This is why people are getting attacked. That must be it! She has been reincarnated, and is now taking revenge on the humans, because of all the pain they brought her during her first life!" His tone reached hysterical.

"Now, hold on for a second!" Yugi said, grabbing the spirit the best he could, trying to shake some reason into him. "You couldn't have known she would do that. There's not even evidence, that it is her".

Atem smiled a sad smile again. "But there is, partner. She brought the pendulum with her to where she went, so it must still be in her possession. My beloved F never wanted anyone else to touch her pendulum," he said.

Yugi looked at him confusedly. "F?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Atem laughed bitterly. "Yes, she signed the letter with an F, the first letter of her name. It makes a bell ring in my head, but I still can't remember her actual name. Stupid. Things would be so much easier, if I could actually remember her name!" He said, turning around quickly and hammering a fist into the tree.

"Stop that, you idiot!" Yugi exclaimed, rushing into the body and taking control. "This is _my _body, Atem. I won't simply just let you harm it or steal it!" He scolded, rubbing his knuckles, which were bleeding lightly.

Atem winced a little, as he realized what he had done. "I'm sorry, Yugi. I'm just…"

"A heartbroken idiot, but we already know that. We also know, it is a fact that counts for both of us. But I don't go around taking out my anger on trees," Yugi said, as he began walking home.

"The others are worried about you, you know, and so am I. You were crying, in front of others, sobbing, and mumbling pained words of endearment towards a mysterious girl. I recommend you give them a good explanation, and then we can begin our research. But it will be the last time, I let you take control in a while, got it? I don't like not knowing where my body is," Yugi said, sounding very much like a father, who was grounding his child.

Atem just nodded.

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><p><strong>*Jupiter: In case you don't know, Jupiter is the king of gods in Roman mythology.<strong>

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Well, that's it for this chapter. Again, I'm sorry if Atem is OOC, and there's too much of the letter, but I really wanted to get the pain, Atem feels, across. He just found a letter from his dead girlfriend, and remembers a lot of things, time had erased. I bet, anyone would want to run away and hide.

A bit of bad news: I am going to take a "homework-break" pretty soon. A couple of exams and some assignments are getting in the way, so I fear, my writing time will be limited. But as always, I'll write, when I can, and try not to take too long with the updates. But if you begin to wonder at some point, that's where I am. In my room, surrounded by books and homework.

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks: Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, rainbowrunner01, SerenePanic, The Queen of Water, mika . laylani, Shadow Realm Triforce, anna the viking XD, ThunderNinjaBird, xxxPureRosexxx.<em>**

My friends and readers, I thank you for your patience (or lack of it) with me. I try my best with my writing, and I am so happy you like it.

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><p><em><strong>See you all next time!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	35. The Crystal Items

**_A/N: _**I spy with my little eye... a new chapter! Yup, here it is. And I can, hopefully, get back to writing again soon, since I just finished all of the big important assignments... for now. I have to study for a couple of exams, but after that, I should be free for a little while. And once the christmas holidays comes around, I'll be even more free.

I would like to point something out: I began this story in the end of February, and put the month as March, because I was dreaming about spring at the time. In story time, only a little more than a week has passed, and it is mid-March. In real life, however, it is December this Saturday... and we are getting snow in the weekend... Am I the only one, who wants to laugh at the fact, that it has taken me 9 months of writing, to have a week pass? Because I think it's hilarious and a bit ironic.

Yes, I used the story's title for the title of this chapter. I guess it's obvious what the chapter is going to be about, then :) It's more of an explaining chapter than an actual chapter, but sometimes it's necessary.

**Nordic Twin owns nothing but OC's, plot and the little song/poem used later in the chapter.**

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><p><em><strong>The Crystal Items<strong>_

_~mind link~_

_Yugi reading aloud._

_**Atem:**_

It was a rather embarrassed Atem, who was practically shoved into the body and demanded to explain, that and apologize for his behavior to Tea, Tristan and Joey. He really had no other explanation, other than he had been in pain, because the letter was from a girl, he had once loved dearly.

He had requested for them not to ask about it, as it was much too painful for him to talk about, and he would rather focus on the task at hand. They had obliged, and that was that.

Well, not entirely. Yugi pushed him out of the body once more, and took control until he had, as Yugi had phrased it; pulled himself together and manned up a bit. He was a pharaoh, after all.

Atem sighed. He knew Yugi was right. But to figure out his one true love had gone through so much pain was simply too much, for his heart to bear.

"_No. It is all in the past, now. I have to keep going forwards, or I'll be stuck in the same hell, like when I realized the truth about the afterlife. I just have to face the future, and let go," _he thought, as he finally turned his eyes to the book, and concentrated on the task at hand: to find out as much as possible about the crystal pendulum.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi sensed Atem calm down, as he settled into the purple crystal. The feeling spread to his own body, and he was oddly relaxed and concentrated, as he turned the first "real" page of the book, that would start uncovering the mysteries about the Crystal Items.

Yugi imagined the pages would be filled with hieroglyphs on every page, and dust flying from even a little look at them. But, surprisingly, they weren't.

Instead the first two pages were covered in detailed pictures of five different things. Sketches and silhouettes; drawn with a thin piece of coal, but preserved and carefully taken care of.

The first of the pictures was obviously of the pendulum itself. It was shaped like an almond with a thin chain at the broad end; simple, yet majestic. It didn't need anything other than that, the simple design made it beautiful.

The second picture was of what Yugi quickly figured out was the Crystal Spear. Even in the picture it was long and thin, and like the pendulum, the simplicity of it was enough to make it look stunning. But, much to his surprise, another thing was crossing it, making the shape of an X. it appeared to be another spear, but something was different.

"What is that thing, crossing the spear?" Yugi asked, pointing at the mysterious thing.

Tea looked at it closely. "I don't know… it looks almost like a paintbrush to me," she said, rubbing her head. "But I'm not sure. Maybe it's another… was it a spear, you said that was?"

Yugi frowned. He had thought it looked a bit like a paintbrush too. The end of the strange thing arched over a little, and it appeared to be frayed, in some kind of weird ways. But what did it mean? Why would this mysterious "F" draw a spear and a paintbrush together? It didn't make any sense.

"Cool, check out that sword!" Joey exclaimed, and pointed to a picture on the right page of the book.

The sword, as it indeed was one, was pretty simple, yet majestic and beautiful. It seemed to be a theme for all of the items. The hilt was twisted around itself, so it looked like a rope had been wound around it, and the end of it was in the shape of a diamond. The hand guard was a simple ball, and the blade itself was long, thin and straight. It looked more like a Roman sword, than an Egyptian, as Yugi thought it would look like.

"Why is there a wand next to it?" Tristan suddenly asked, pointing to something next to the sword.

Upon further inspection something very similar to a wand, was drawn next to the sword. Compared to the size of the sword's hilt, assuming the hilt was the length of a hand, it looked like it was about as long as two outstretched hands. It had a little hilt with a diamond at the end, just like the sword. But otherwise, it didn't seem like it was anything special.

"Maybe the sword can shrink to that size, and it's a small dagger. Look, they're almost identical," Yugi pointed out after a few rounds of different theories. And as they all agreed it sounded like it was the most possible thing for the miniature to be there, they stuck to the idea.

Tea suddenly widened her eyes, and asked: "Is that an ocarina?!"

Yugi looked at the page, and true enough; an ocarina was pictured on the yellow page.

_~What in the name of Ra is an ocarina doing there? They weren't even in Egypt, nor Europe, during my time,~ _Atem said, confusion clear in his voice.

_~I don't know… but you have to admit, it's pretty,~ _Yugi said, letting his finger lightly trace the edge of the drawing.

It wasn't really much other than an ocarina, but the mouthpiece was cut like an imperial lily*, and a few wines seemed to sprout from the finger holes.

"Hm… what's an ocarina?" Joey asked.

Tea face palmed. "Seriously, Joey. You don't know? It's a flute-like instrument, invented here in Japan and China. It has an amazing sound, and it is unique because…"

"Ocarina of Time**," Yugi said, cutting off Tea.

"Ooohhh! I get it!" Joey said happily, looking at the ocarina in the book. "I thought it looked a bit familiar".

Tea stared at Yugi with an expression saying: "What the…?" It made Yugi laugh.

"It's a videogame, Tea," he just said, before turning his eyes back to the book.

The last item was something he had actually expected a bit. It was a crown, well, more like a tiara like thing. The crystal was cut into lots of thin vines, leaves and flowers. In the middle, a big crystal sat as a gem. It was, by far, the most complicated of the items, but it still had an air of simplicity over it.

All of the items were unique in appearance, but were connected by the crystals they were made of. Just like the Millennium Items. Yugi couldn't help but feel awed, as he looked at the pictures. Whoever who had made them, had clearly known what he or she was doing.

"Look at all of these… I wonder what powers they possess…" Tea said, awed at the detail of the drawings.

"There's only one way to find out," Yugi said, turning the page. Much to his surprise, a little poem adorned only one of the two new pages. However, it was written in Latin, and not hieroglyphs. Yet, he could still read it.

"I'll read the poem for you… I don't know how, but I understand this," Yugi said.

_Born during dark and light_

_We rise with crystals, and prove our might._

_The magic flows in our blood, gives us so much power_

_And yet we must wilt, like the picked flower._

_Controlling the crystals, are not easy tasks_

_And therefore we hide, behind living masks._

_If you are of ours, we'll welcome you in_

_With us you must be, in our magical ring._

_The soul drop will guide you, though your travel is long_

_But you'll find us as long, as you remember this, our song._

"The soul drop… okay, what the heck is that? Wasn't this book supposed to help us? So far, I see only more mysteries, which need to be solved," Joey said, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

"Well, maybe if we read more, it'll give us answers," Tea suggested, looking optimistic.

Yugi nodded. "I agree. Let's see…" He said.

"Huh? The page is empty," Tristan said, as he looked at the new page.

Yugi looked at him with a confused expression. "What do you mean? There's a picture of the pendulum and a lot of text, right there," he said, pointing at something on one of the pages.

For a while none of them understood anything, before they remembered what Ishizu had written. "I guess, I just have to read it aloud to you, then, if you can't see it," Yugi said.

_The Crystal Pendulum._

_The Crystal Pendulum is the first of the Crystal Items. It wields many kinds of magic, but focuses on two main types: the changing of a mind, and fortune telling. It can also summon the Strings of Fortune, which show the good and evil deeds a person has done, if used on him or her._

"No way, it can also predict the future?! Then we don't have a chance against the bearer, if he or she just predicts our next move!" Joey whispered, causing Tea to shush at him. yugi continued to read.

_With the help of The Dust of Dreams, a mysterious powder obtained through much patience and dreams, the wielder of the pendulum is able to enter a person's mind, and change it to his or her liking. It can turn the thief into a guard; turn the prostitute into a noble, and the trustworthy soldier into a ruthless savage. Only the imagination and your own rules, hinders you when using the pendulum._

_The fortune telling magic is quite simple, though it is actually the main magic of the pendulum. Because of this, the Crystal Pendulum is considered to be one of weaker of the items._

_~Weak? It is considered weak? Then how powerful are the other items?~ _Atem mumbled to Yugi, who just shrugged a little.

_To predict the future, the wielder has to let the mind flow, and take a travel to the "inner world", which is another universe in the soul. Here everything is possible, and it is where the future will be shown. The wielder only needs to think, about what he or she wants to know about the future, and it will be shown to them._

_The Pendulum, though one of the weaker items, very dangerous. Only those with a soul drop and Twilight Magic can control its power. For anyone else to use it, the consequences can be fatal._

The part about the pendulum stopped with the warning, and Yugi stopped reading. Instead a few pages with pictures showed on the next pages. Yugi described them to the others the best he could.

One was of a dark tunnel with light spots, enhanced by the golden glow. Another pictured a row of smaller pictures, symbolizing the different futures one could see, he assumed. And yet another showed a female figure holding the pendulum over a person.

It was all a bit unnerving, but the group decided it was best to continue reading. Yugi turned the pages, and found the next part with letters.

_The Crystal Spear._

_The Crystal Spear is probably the strongest of the items, but has been gone for as long as anyone can remember. Where it is, no one knows for sure. However, there's a chance it was lost in another world, as the Spear gives the wielder the power over time and space. In other words: the power to bend the material between the worlds, and create portals. It is unsure where these portals lead. It depends on the wielder's power. With a bit of practice, and a lot of Twilight Magic, it is possible to decide where you want the portal to go, but mostly it is an uncontrollable power._

_But this is not the only power the Spear has. It can also, like the Pendulum, change people's minds, though in a different way. By deleting all the memories of the one it is used against, the wielder can insert new memories and information, created by him/herself. This technique will also change the minds room of the victim, so be careful._

_Only those with a soul drop and Twilight Magic can wield the Spear. Though it has been gone for long, I still warn against using it. Consequences can be fatal._

"Well… at least this "F" is honest…" Tristan said, sweat dropping. The others nodded.

Yet another round of pictures followed. This time of swirling circles with strange signs, and of minds room being changed from black to white.

The next text was about the Crystal Crown.

_The Crystal Crown._

_The Crystal Crown is a very simple item. Basically it can transform the bearer of it into anything he or she desires. An animal, an object or another person. Only the imagination sets the limits. It is considered the weakest of the items, though it is still very powerful, as it can also turn the user into an element. Earth, water, fire, wind… these are everywhere, and you certainly can't escape the wind, or a shadow. It is impossible. So be careful with this item._

_A unique ability this item has is that it changes appearance from bearer to bearer. It reads the soul of its master, and transform into what suits him or her the best._

_One should never use The Crystal Crown for too long, as the transformation can become either partly or completely permanent. When partly permanent, the user becomes half-human and half-the thing her or she transformed into. It is told, this was how mermaids came to be. A wielder of the crown was simply a fish for too long, and turned into a half-human half-fish._

_Dangerous it may be for mostly only the wielder, but you should still be careful around the crown._

Yugi frowned. It seemed like the Crystal Items had quite a bit of difference in power, though they were definitely all very strong. To simply turn into wind or earth… how could you ever escape those two elements? Or a shadow? He definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of this item.

More pictures followed. These were just pictures of different objects with eyes, indicating they were not objects, but the bearer of the Crystal Crown. There were also sketches of different crown designs. Some of them were not more than a simple circle, but others had delicate details engraved.

The next Crystal Item, was the sword.

_The Crystal Sword._

_Like the Crown, the Crystal Sword is one of the weakest Crystal Items, yet dangerous. This sword cannot be broken, unless it is hit with powerful magic, or faces a stronger magical sword. But the chances of encountering another magical sword, even one that is more powerful than this, are close to none._

_The unique power for the Crystal Sword is, like the crown, very simple. By swinging this sword, the wielder can control entire armies to his or her bidding. However, though it is possible to control an army, it is very difficult, and uses a lot of magic. It is better to control a single powerful person, and have him command said army. Much more convenient._

_Overuse of The Crystal Sword doesn't really result in anything fatal. But if its power is used on the same person for too long, the wielder ends with a follower and/or slave for life time. And people around the victim will eventually become suspicious._

"Hmm… that might be a good thing to be able to do… I could get Kaiba to do all sorts of things," Joey said, grinning.

Tea just hit him over the head.

The only pictures to the sword were one of a big army being commanded by a general, with a person hiding in the shadow. The other one was of a sword fight, several broken swords scattered on the ground. Finally the third picture was of a figure following a person carrying the sword.

Yugi chuckled at the sight of that. He wondered who it had actually happened to, because the writer had to get the information about the consequences _somewhere._

_The Crystal Ocarina_

_This musical instrument is the oddest of the items, as it is the only one of its kind in these lands, as of now. It is said it comes from lands faraway from here. The tales call it an ocarina, and that it should sound beautiful when played. But like most of the items, it was also lost long ago, so we don't know for sure._

_When The Crystal Ocarina is played, it can do three different things. The two of the things need for the person, it is used on, to be asleep. With the third it doesn't matter._

_The first thing it can do when played, is let the player/wielder travel into the dreams of others. If it is played in the right way, it is even possible to take more than one person into the dreams, or bring the dreaming person from his or her own dream, into the dream of another one._

_The second is a bit like the dream travelling. Only, it goes much deeper in; to the unconsciousness. During this travel, the wielder can see all the memories of the person, the magic is used on. Fears, likes and dislikes, moments of love, moments of hate… everything is accessible. A very good way to learn more about an enemy or friend. If used on a friend, however, be sure to get their consent, as everyone has their own secrets they might not want you to see._

_The last thing, the ocarina can do, is bring wisdom, both to the wielder/player of it, and the one listening to its music. It is more a side effect than anything else, though. To listen to the music of The Crystal Ocarina opens one's mind, giving you the gift of learning faster and better, and discover new impressions, which were unknown to man before. Because of this effect, the former bearers of the Ocarina, or guardians, are considered to be some of the wisest magicians to walk the lands._

_Another side effect that can occur is better and deeper sleep. The music of the Ocarina makes a terrific lullaby._

_Though it may seem harmless, the Ocarina has its dangers. If it is used too much on one person, the wielder may get stuck in the mind of another; never to wake up from the playing-trance it puts you in. This will also harm the other person, as he/she will always sense there's another in their body. It is said, this effect has led many to suicide. So do never use the Ocarina too much. Only those with exceptional powers should wield its magic._

The ocarina was probably the item that interested Yugi the most. To travel into the mind and dreams of another person, just by playing a little tune… what wonders couldn't it create? And he had also always like ocarinas, being fascinated by their airy tunes and simple designs.

The following pictures were mostly of someone playing the little instrument, and different scenery, probably describing the dreams and minds of others.

"I can't believe it… so much power in all of these items… and though there are less of them than the Millennium Items, they seem to be much more dangerous!" Tea said, looking back through the notes she had taken, while Yugi read.

"I wonder what would happen, if all of their powers were united and controlled by one person," Yugi murmured, not wanting the others to hear him. Unfortunately they did.

"Man, that would be… that would be terrible! With that sword… and the pendulum and spear… we would be screwed!" Joey said, running a hand through his hair.

"I agree. You don't think this is what the bearer of the pendulum wants to do, do you?" Tea asked Yugi.

Yugi frowned. "I do not know, but it could be a possibility," he said, rubbing his head. "I feel like we've only gotten more questions than answers by reading all of this".

The other three nodded in agreement.

_~Please turn the page. The book still has many pages, so maybe there's more information about the items there,~ _Atem said, pointing out the obvious detail, they all seemingly had forgotten.

Yugi stared wide eyed at the words forming before him, the second the two new pages were visible.

"What is it?" Tristan asked and waved his hand in front of Yugi's eyes, as the boy went into a frozen stage.

"It's amazing, that's what it is," Yugi whispered, touching the page lightly. "It's the history of the Crystal Items, but also a fairy tale. If you could read the things it says, they… the Crystal Items are an entirely different religion, almost".

Yugi flipped through a few of the pages, his eyes running over them quickly.

"It says here: _when the light and dark united and created the twilight, a young girl appeared. With her were five items made out of crystal, which only she could use. And thus, the goddess of Twilight was born. _It keeps mentioning strange spells and rituals. Important dates and times of the year… this is really something. It even mentions shadow magic," he said, closing the book with a snap.

"I suggest we use this book to help us move forward in our search, when we can't figure something out. Meanwhile, I'll seal this in the silver box Ishizu sent with it. She told me it would conceal any traces of the books magic," he said, looking at his friends.

Everything was silent for a moment, as Tristan, Tea and Joey descended into deep thoughts. But in the end, Tea said: "Since you are the only one who can actually read the book, I think you knows best what to do with it".

Joey nodded. "You have the most experience with magic, and if the book is right, most of this is magic," he agreed.

Tristan nodded too. "Ditto," he said.

And thus it was decided. The book would be sealed away most of the time, and Yugi would read a bit of it when necessary. Because until they had figured out the mystery of the attacks, they had to tread very carefully.

"_We'll solve this mystery; I just have to think of it as a puzzle. The book is a tricky piece, but so far, there has been no puzzle too difficult for me," _Yugi thought, as he stared out his window.

Slowly the daylight turned to twilight.

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><p><strong>*Imperial lily: a symbol of majesty.<strong>

****The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time. Obviously… I think…**

**The Crystal Crown: www . medievalbridalfashions catalog / index . php?main_ page=index &cPath=8**

**It is called the "Charming tiara". So if the link won't work, google it. It's on a purple background, so you it should be pretty easy to find.**

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _That's it for this time, I hoped you liked it :D

I've been meaning to ask you guys this for a while, but I keep forgetting it: what would you think of a Nordic Twin Facebook page? You know, a page where I post news of updates and other stuff like that? I'm just curious, because I know it's not everybody, who has a profile, and I don't even use my own much aside from gaming, and I'm still thinking about pros and cons from having a FB-page.

**Shameless advertisement:** did you guys know, I'm on DeviantArt, too? Well, I am, still under the name NordicTwin, but without the space. I've posted a few poems and some photos of a forest near my town, so if you would be interested in non-fanfic related stuff from me, please go check it out. Here's the link to my profile:

nordictwin . deviantart

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: Shadow Realm Triforce, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, rainbowrunner01, anna the viking XD, The Queen of Water, SerenePanic, Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter,<strong>_ **_xxxPureRosexxx_** and _**YamazakiHikar****i.**_

All of you are great, and your support makes it all worth while for me to write :) And I am glad you could use my advise, _**YamazakiHikari.**_

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><p><strong><em>That's the last from me this month. See you all in December, for the next chapter!<em>**

**_-Nordic Twin_**


	36. Presentations

_**A/N:** _SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY *takes deep breath* SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY! For the love of all that's holy, I am so. SORRY!

I'm sorry I haven't updated in almost a month, I feel like I've committed a crime! I know, I said I would have more time, but... things got hectic, and I got lazy after that! I've been through exams, project weeks, long days of school, homework I had to do, distractions, I became a "pirate" on DeviantArt and wasted lots of writing time chatting with people because of that. Then I got sick, more assignments came around, Christmas came knockin on my door, we got lots of snow, I went on Christmas Markets, I got a writer's block, and to be honest I just needed a longer break from writing, okay?!

Phew. Okay, calm down Nordic. Deep breaths. One, two. One, two. Remember, they're here for the story. Not your rants.

I all honesty, I have no idea why it has taken me so long. I have wanted to write this chapter for _ages_ and then it was so difficult to write! And it has no flow whatsoever at some points. I'm just glad it's done.

I'm trying with a diffrent approach in this chapter. We all hate long, suddenly time skips, so to fix that, I've made Yugi tell us, what has happened in the few days form the last chapter to this one. I hope you enjoy.

Consider this a Christmas present from me to all of you! Danes celebrate Christmas on the 24th, so I'm going to get my presents tomorrow evening! Hooray!

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, what it is you celebrate!

**_Disclaimer:_ **I own nothing but OC's and plot.

**Edit: **This has now been beta'd.

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><p><em><strong>Presentations<strong>_

_**Yugi P.O.V:**_

The rest of that week passed as if nothing had changed. We went to school and acted like everything was normal. I did my chores and told the lie about Sobokuna, if anyone asked. After the first day, people got bored and stopped asking. They had, apparently, hoped for a bit more exciting news.

After school I started building up the habit of reading a bit of the mysterious book, wondering about the author. The girl Atem had loved, and who loved him… I wondered who she was. She must have been a very kind being, but scarred by years of pain. It was evident from her letter; that she had faced many hardships for one so young. It made me think of Una, in some strange kind of way. I wanted to protect her, even though I was pretty sure Una could take care of herself. But still… it was such a strange, yet strong feeling.

Before I knew it, it was Saturday, and I was going to the reception-thing Una had invited us to.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi, Tristan, Tea and Joey stood in front of the massive building that was the Yama-Tech. Inc. headquarters. 20 stories tall and made almost entirely out of glass, it stood almost proudly close to the center of Domino City.

"Holy…! That even rivals Rich Boy's building!" Joey exclaimed.

"Don't insult my company, Mutt! This tiny cottage doesn't even compare to my buildings! Now get out of my way!" An annoyed voice said.

Yugi looked over his shoulder and saw Kaiba was standing right behind them, Mokuba next to him. Both of them were carrying white suitcases.

Joey gritted his teeth, but Tea cut in before anything could go wrong. "Sorry, Seto. We were just impressed. We didn't expect Una to invite us to something like this, that is so much like… you," she said.

And Yugi realized it was true. He had had no idea; Una would invite them to a place like this. Sure, she was the daughter of a big company owner, but she didn't seem to be the type, to invite people to building like this.

Not to mention the limo she had sent. _That _had been a shocker, and something Kaiba would have done, not Una. But it had been that way. The limo had arrived in front of his house, a young woman waiting for him.

**Flashback:**

_Yugi's eyes widened at the sight of the white limousine parked outside of his house. In delicate letters the name U A. Yamagawa was written. A young woman with golden hair cut in a boy's fashion with green eyes stood next to it._

"_You're Yugi Mutou, correct?" The woman asked, leaning on the door of the limo, her green eyes looking at him intently._

_Yugi nodded without saying a word. The woman grinned._

"_Well, tha' name's Alice Petersen. I'm a distant cousin o' Una's and the Yamagawa's housekeeper and helper. I'm here to drive ya' to that fancy reception the prick to Hoshi is hosting," she said, opening the door. "Now, get in, kid. Una requested ya' and your friends got there quickly ta' get a tour or something like that, and I still need to pick up the Wheeler and Taylor guys," she said._

_Yugi quickly went to the limo, and saw Tea already sat inside, stunned. The look in her eyes mirrored his own thoughts: Una and Kaiba were more alike than they thought._

End of flashback:

Kaiba closed his mouth tightly, as if annoyed, but his eyes revealed he was smiling. "Una and I have more in common than most people think; she's just not much for letting that side of herself show," he said.

"That's because you are so damn cocky, I don't want people to think I am too," a light voice said.

Yugi looked up and almost got a heart attack.

Midway on a set of stairs Una stood, her head held proudly. She was wearing a black skirt that reached her mid-thigh, a white, ruffled shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a black vest with blue lining, blue ribbons tied around her upper arms and a corset closing in the front. A pair of black gloves adorned her hand, her teardrop pendant hung loosely around her neck, and a blue hair band revealed her small ears, which were bearing a pair of big, thin circle earrings. On her feet she wore a pair of black socks with blue edging which reached mid-thigh, and a pair of short, black boots*.

Yugi almost rubbed his eyes in amazement. He had never seen Una in anything but school related clothing, except for that one day he had seen her in her raincoat. Now she stood in front of him in casual clothes and looked stunning. He was only able to take his eyes of her, when Atem snickered.

Kaiba scowled. "Watch your tounge, Yamagawa!" He sneered.

Una didn't show a single emotion on her face, as she calmly said: "Watch your deal, Kaiba". She held up a black folder, fanning her face with it.

Kaiba froze. Then he suddenly shook his head, a small smirk on his face, and held up his hands. "Okay, fair enough, you win this time. Now give me that thing," he said.

Yugi looked stunned at the two, as Una too smirked and threw the folder at Kaiba and he caught it, scanning the pages. "Signed and filed in four copies," she said. "Congrats".

Kaiba nodded once and put the folder in the suitcase, locking it safely. Then Una walked down the stairs and greeted them properly.

"Welcome to Yama-Tech. Inc.'s HQ. "Small is all"," she said, winking as she quoted the company's slogan, mocking it. Then she smiled. "I am so glad you all of you are here".

Kaiba hmph'ed, while the others responded enthusiastically that they were happy to be there. Una then showed Yugi and the others, minus Kaiba and Kokuba, around for a little while, mostly the basics like where the food and bathrooms were, until they were called to the room where the pressconference were held.

"I've got to run, now. When Seto has spoken, it's my turn. And then the little one is going to stand in the spotlight," she said, holding her pendant tightly. "Wish us luck!" She called, as she hurried on stage.

**Mokuba:**

Mokuba stood a bit behind all the others on the stage, as he watched his brother walk to the microphone. He caught sight of Una and smiled happily at his Onee-sama, as she went to stand next to him, ruffling his hair and winked at him playfully. He liked when she did that, hoe she would silently say hello and almost promise to play with him, once she got the time.

The first to speak was Hoshi Yamagawa, a man of… ambition, that's what Seto had called him, Mokuba remembered. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not. He just found the tall, black haired man boring. Maybe a bit arrogant, too. Either way, he felt the man could only speak of business. How he had gotten a daughter as nice and sweet as Una was still a mystery to him.

As the minutes passed, Mokuba got more and more sleepy from listening to Hoshi's never ending talking.

Once Seto began speaking, however, he became awake beaming with pride. He knew his big brother had wanted to work with Yama-Tech. Inc. for ages and now it was finally happening. And _it_was going to be revealed.

He looked up, smiling, as he heard Seto say: "I would like to present to you, the new Duel Disc XG1 - 8BX9.0."

The crowd gasped, and he could easily understand why. The XG1 – 8BX9.0 was truly a sight to behold; thin, light-weight, shining and much smoother in design that the old Duel Disc**. With the technology from Yama-Tech. Inc. it had been improved immensely. The holograms were more realistic in appearance; the sound effects had become phenomenal and you could literally touch the holograms, though only for a short amount of time.

And it was only possible, because Una was their… friend, at least she was his. He got unsure about her and Seto from time to time. It was as if they enjoyed insulting each other.

In that moment, Una took over his brother's place at the microphone. She smiled and explained all of the new things about the XG1 – 8BX9.0. How it was much lighter, how it enhanced the players experience of the game, and basically how it was a unity of the delicate works of Yama-Tech. Inc. and Kaiba Corp. The beginning of a beautiful new era of cooperation between the two companies.

She appeared to be calm and collected. The perfect face to the public. She was a genius, a diamond, something of higher worth they should please. Why should she have any flaws and fears?

Oh, Mokuba knew the truth of the matter. He could see her hands tremble slightly and that she was sweating a little. He knew how she felt standing there, being looked at by so many people; media and businessmen alike.

But the truth was, Una always suffered greatly from stage fright, and she was probably close to fainting. Mokuba had seen her almost do so a couple of times. She would be paler than usual, sweat and gasp for breath. And each time she had gone to hospital afterwards. He didn't know why, but he assumed it was to talk with a doctor… or maybe a psychologist. It seemed to affect her greatly.

He snapped back to complete attention, when Una stopped talking about the Duel Disk and she was given a massive round of applause. She had raised her hand to silence them and began talking again. This time, however, of something entirely different.

"Thank you all so much for being here today. It is a big day for Yama-Tech. Inc., and I thank you for the support. My parents and I have quickly settled here… and so has the person I would like to introduce to you," she said.

Mokuba's eyes widened and he stood mouth agape for a while until Seto, who had gone to stand next to him protectively, poked his cheek to stop him from looking stupid. He too, however, was looking confusedly at Una, and somehow Mokuba knew, his brother was thinking the same as him.

"What did Una plan _this _time?" Mokuba whispered, so only Seto could hear it.

The older Kaiba shrugged a little. Una was known to always surprise people, because she almost never revealed anything about herself. So whatever she was going to reveal, or rather _who _in this case, was definitely going to be big.

A hushed whisper went through the crowd, as Una spoke again. "You see, when I was three years old, my parents gave me a very special gift. A gift I have loved; treasured and protected until this day, because my parents did not think _she _was ready to be exposed to the world yet. But finally, that day has come," she said. Una turned her head towards the side of the stage, where a couple of security guards were standing. She held out her hand, as the men parted slightly.

Mokuba blinked a couple of times in confusion. Much to his surprise, a girl at his age slowly made her way onto the stage.

She was wearing a white, knee length dress with little ruffles along the edges of the bottom and the sleeves. Said sleeves puffed out a little at the shoulders and tightened around the rest of her arms. On the dress itself little silver moons and golden stars were printed. A think, dark purple satin ribbon was sewn into the dress a little above the skirt and sleeve edges, as well as around her waist. She wore black shoes and white socks on her feet, a few thin silver bracelets on her wrists and a pair of black, thin, oval glasses sat on her nose.

He couldn't see her eyes because she looked at the floor, but her hair was black just like his, only it was curly and shining. He skin was a bit pale, but it didn't clash with the white dress.

She somehow reminded him of something… someone. But he couldn't figure out what. Seto too, was just looking at the little girl.

Una smiled warmly. "Ladies and Gentlemen, people of the world. I would like to introduce to you, the biggest joy in my life and my greatest support: my little sister, Hanabi C. Yamagawa," she said.

This time Seto didn't stop him when his mouth hung wide open, because the older boy was having a similar expression on his face, only he was frowning a bit.

"No. Freaking. Way…" Seto whispered.

"Onee-sama… is really an Onee-sama!" Mokuba gasped.

_**Hanabi:**_

Hanabi stood nervously on the stage in front of all those people. There were no sounds, no cameras going off, and no movements. All she could see was a blurry blob, and all she could hear was the breathing of herself and her Onee-chan.

She felt Una give her a gentle push in her back, making her squeak and step toward the microphone. "It is all right, sweetie," Una whispered, patting her head comfortingly. "Just say something, and then they'll react. Oh, and you are dropping your glasses". Una smiled at her.

Hanabi swallowed and quickly pushed her glasses up on her nose as she nodded. Then, with a determined expression on her face, she stepped forward and bowed politely.

"Hello. My name is Hanabi C. Yamagawa. I am the second and youngest daughter of Hoshi Yamagawa and Marie Carlsen. I am very happy to finally show myself to the world officially," she said.

There was silence for a few moments. Then the room exploded in a mass of camera blitzes, clicking noises and questions being asked to her from everywhere.

"Miss Hanabi, Miss Hanabi!" "How come we haven't heard about you until now?!" "Is this a trick?!" "Miss Hanabi, please answer this question!" "Miss Hanabi, how old are you?"

"Stop and be quiet this instant!" Hanabi yelled into the microphone. Silence fell around her and she took a few deep breaths. "Thank you," she said after a little while.

She managed to smile, despite her nervousness. "One at a time, please, that way I can answer the questions you have as correctly as possible," she said, pushing her glasses up again and giggled.

The journalists immediately aw'ed at the gesture, and she grinned internally. She was cute, Una stated that as a fact, and Hana was well aware of it. It would only be a few seconds, then the media would be won over.

"To begin with, I am 14 years old as of this day. The reason you haven't heard about nor seen me is because my parents wanted to prepare me properly, before I became a public figure… unlike Onee-sama, who has been at it since birth," she said, pouting. "It has been so unfair. Onee-sama has gotten to go to all the events in other countries, while I have remained behind being bored".

Her audience aww'ed again at that statement, and some of them couldn't help but agree, with cooing voices, that it was indeed unfair and it was good, she was now going to be able to go with Una. Hanabi just smiled.

More questions were asked to her, as the world wanted to know all about her. She told them she loved art and Duel Monsters, the latter was obvious, and that she went to middle school. She expressed her love for Una and how close they were, earning her more awws and coos. She was a star, the new, cute addition to the world's celebrities.

In the end, she was welcomed warmly and she could walk off the stage with her head held high.

_Yugi:_

Yugi was trying to digest all the new things he had learned and seen in the course of the past few hours.

First: the new Duel Disc. The new, better, improved, awesome, over the top Duel Disc. Both he and Atem were tuned in on the same train of thoughts: it is going to be ours!

Second: the medias were vultures, and Hanabi was extremely cute and apparently had to wear glasses. Who would've thought? He had only seen her in school uniform, but in formal clothes he thought it made her look like an angel. He had seen it in her eyes, though, that it was planned into detail she should be cute, and he wasn't sure if Hanabi was like that in reality.

Third: Pegasus was present. And he knew the Ymagawas _very _closely. In a way he had _not _expected.

He had actually given them all a shock when he suddenly appeared behind them. And the surprises had just been bigger and bigger afterwards.

**Flashback:**

"_Yugi, my boy!" A well-known cheery voice exclaimed behind him._

_Yugi jumped a little and turned around to face Pegasus, who was grinning._

"_Pegasus! What in the name of Ra are you doing here?" Yugi asked confusedly._

_The older man feigned hurt. "Your words wound me, Yugi-boy. Why wouldn't I be here?" He asked, placing a hand dramatically over his heart._

_Yugi frowned. "I don't know. I just didn't assume you knew the Yamagawas," he said._

_Pegasus smiled. "Of course I know them. Una and Hana are my little darlings. Besides, I promised my little firework*** I'd be here for her birthdaaaay," he said, or tried to, as Hanabi suddenly came running and tackled him playfully, making him laugh._

"_I'm not a firework, uncle!" She said, hugging his arm._

_Pegasus laughed. "Yes you are, with all of your energy. But just as pretty and elegant as a flower in full bloom," he said._

_Yugi, Tristan, Joey and Atem stared at the bizarre scene in front of them, not able to believe their own eyes. They were pretty sure that Tea, if she was present at the moment, would have squealed. But she had disappeared with Kaiba at some point, they didn't know exactly when._

"_Uncle?" Yugi asked._

"_No. Godfather," he heard Una's voice behind him._

**End of Flashback.**

It hadn't taken long for Kaiba, Mokuba and Tea to find them after that. The sight of Pegasus had sent Kaiba into a fit of rage, and he demanded to know why the man was there.

Una calmly explained to all of them, that Pegasus was her and Hana's godfather and their mother's step brother, so there was actually no blood to bind Pegasus to her and Hana. But because their mother loved "Max" as her own little brother by blood, and the sisters had only heard their mother address him as her little brother, they quickly caught on and called him Uncle Pegasus, because they thought it was funny, he was named after the magical flying horse.

All of that had led to their current situation: sitting on Una's and Hana's private floor of the building, having tea.

"I can't believe you never told anyone!" Kaiba sighed. "I would have stayed away from you, if that was the case".

Una rolled her eyes. "Oh quit whining, Seto. It's not such a big deal," she said.

Yugi chuckled at the sight. Una and Kaiba were bickering like a little old couple, though he knew there was no love on either side, except the love of insulting the other. He could see it in their eyes.

"Onee-sama is crazy," Hanabi mumbled, as she sat next to him. She was still wearing her glasses and was sketching mindlessly on a piece of paper.

Pegasus chuckled. "Would you love her more if she wasn't?" Hanabi just shook her head, making Yugi chuckle.

"Oh, congratulations by the way," Yugi said, ruffling her hair. "14, huh?"

Hanabi giggled, and looked up. "Yup. But I don't feel any different," she said.

Now Mokuba apparently turned his attention towards her. "I have never heard a word from Una Onee-sama about you. You have the coolest Onee-sama in the world!" He said, smiling.

It was as if Hanabi suddenly froze in her place as she looked up at the sound, her grey-blue eyes shining. "Yeah…" she mumbled.

Una shook her head. "Hana-chan, that was very impolite towards Mokuba. Though, it's a bit understandable. I don't believe the two of you have been introduced properly," she said with a sigh. She then turned to Kaiba. "But on the contrary, I have told her so much about Mokuba," she said, smiling.

Kaiba looked pleased at this piece of news, and Yugi could see pride in his eyes.

A light snort was heard from the spot next to him. "Yeah, I'm sad to know they were all lies," Hana hissed.

Una looked stunned. "Hanabi!" She said, outraged. Kaiba's eyes hardened next to her.

Mokuba looked at her confusedly, sadness in his eyes, but also anger. "What makes you say that… though, your voice is familiar…" he said.

Hanabi looked at Mokuba and took off her glasses. "Remember me?" She said.

Suddenly an eerie silence fell across the room, as the two young teens glared at each other.

"You!" Mokuba suddenly yelled, getting up from his seat.

Hanabi stood too, clenching her hands to fists. "Yeah, me! Got a problem with that?" She hissed.

"Yeah, I do have a problem with that!" Mokuba sneered, the two getting in each other's faces.

"I thought I recognized your face on that day!"

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't recognize you right away, would've been so much easier. But I guess I just couldn't recognize the wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"Ha ha, very funny! Why don't you get a haircut, mullet boy? The hedgehog wants his fur back!"

"Wannabe artist!"

"Cooking catastrophe!"

"ENOUGH!" Kaiba and Una said simultaneously, as they pulled the children away.

"What on Earth is going on?! I have never seen this side of you, Hanabi!" Una scolded.

"The same goes for you, Mokuba. What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Kaiba said, looking at the enraged boy.

The two glared at each other.

"She's the girl who insulted my art, Seto!"

"He's the jerk who claims to "own" a part of the school's gardens!"

Yugi looked at the facial expressions Una and Kaiba shared in that moment. It was a face that could only mean one thing:

"Oh s***".

* * *

><p><strong>* nordictwin . deviantart favourites ?offset= 48#/d5j8n4o**

**Drawn by the amazing meago.**

****Think of a mix between the original duel disc and the duel disc from GX.**

*****Puns on Hanabi's name and nickname, because Hanabi means firework and Hana flower.**

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**Did I mention this chapter is longer than usual? Well, it is.

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: Shadow Realm Triforce, mika . laylani, The Queen of Water, Aimee-Leigh .M. Attwood, SerenePanic, anna the viking XD, Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, rainbowrunner01, Chococatx33, xxxPureRosexxx.<strong>_

I can't thank all of you enough for being so patient with me! I promise I wil try to update faster, but high school is murderous sometimes! *Insert crying face*

I love all of you for the support, and I've missed the joy of uploading while I was gone. Thank you so much for being patient with me! And if you want me to speed up the writing procress if I take too long at some other time, feel free to bombard me with PM telling me to do so. It actually helps a little!

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><p><em><strong>See you next chapter!<strong>_

_**- Nordic Twin.**_

_**Glædelig jul! (Merry Christmas.)**_


	37. Hanabi vs Mokuba

**_A/N:_**Once again, I am so, _SO_ sorry for the delay. I think it's the dark weather having an effect on me. I just feel so lazy and tired all the time, and I keep getting distracted by different things, like... real life... and homework... and colds... but they're all bad excuses! I've had so much time to write in, and I've wasted it! Stupid me!

I do have one good reason, though. Over on deviantArt I've joined a group called The Black Fedora Pirates. Basically it's an RP group where a little group of different people is gathered to have fun, speaking like pirates and upload pirate themed stories once in a while. We all have an OC to play as. Mine is called Claire de Luna.

I won't go into much detail about it, but Claire de Luna is a soulless being, a human who has lost his/her soul, and has travelled the world for about 500 years in search of killing the one who took her soul and regain her memories. Then one night she encounters the captain of The Black Fedora Pirates, Captain Chenbeard, and after a ferocious battle against her creator Core, aka. the guy who took her soul, to keep Core from stealing Chenbeard's soul, she agrees to join his crew of pirates... and _that _is where her story begins.

In other words, I'm actually working on _two_ projects now. The Crystal Items and the story of Claire de Luna. If anyone of you wish to read more about Claire de Luna, I am adding the link to my deviantArt account in my profile on this site.

EDIT: this has now been beta'd.

_**_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but OC's and plot.**_**_

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><p><em><strong>Hanabi vs. Mokuba<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi stared at the scene in front of him: the fuming children, the blank expressions of their older siblings, the amused face of Pegasus.

A silence so heavy it could kill had fallen over the room. Then Una slowly began to talk.

"Wait, so it's _him_ you've been ranting about for days on end? Him you've been ranting about with your friends?" she said, looking at the two.

Hana nodded, looking a bit smug.

Una closed her eyes, her eyebrow twitching and her face reddening. What she did then happened so quickly, Yugi almost didn't catch the movement of Una's hand. Una suddenly held two strands of Hana's hair between her thumb and second finger, pulling upwards, while Hana whined and begged for her to let go.

"Nee-samaaaaa!" Hana whined, trying to get the older girl to let go. "It hurts!"

"Serves you right!" Una said sternly. "How many times have I told you to _watch your temper_?" She tugged a little at the hairs.

Hana jumped a little to cease the pull on her hair. "I don't remember, but come on! Please let go," she answered.

Una knitted her brows. "No," she said. "Not until you get it into your little head, that you should _always…_ what?" Her voice was stern, as she gave the hairs a quick little yank.

"Ouch! Watch my temper," Hana said.

Una tugged the hairs again. "That is correct, but what else?" She asked..

Hana sucked a breath in through her teeth. "Think before I speak," She tried to grab Una's hand, but the older girl just moved it out of her reach, tugging on the hairs at the same time.

"Yes, and…?" Una twirled the black hairs around her fingers.

Hana's eyes widened. "Uhm…" she mumbled.

Una knitted her brows and pulled the hairs upwards. "And…?!" she demanded. "Watch your temper, think before you speak and…?!"

Hana hissed. "Never act like a spoiled child, because I've been raised better than that!" she said, whining a little.

With that, Una let go of the hairs and patted the little girl's head. "Good. Then that's out of the way," she said and turned to the stunned group. "Sorry, Hana here is a handful, unless you know the little weaknesses."

Hana pouted and rubbed her head. "Yeah, just wait until someone pulls at _your_ hair, and tell me how funny that is," she mumbled, going to stand behind Pegasus, who just laughed and ruffled her hair.

Feeling a bit sorry for the little girl, Yugi did the same, only managing to flatten the now unruly hair.

"Is that the way Una scolds you?" Yugi asked curiously.

Hana shook her head. "No, only when she's trying to get an important message through to me. And it does… but when I get mad, I forget it, thus the hair pulling," she said sheepishly, rubbing the sore spot again.

Pegasus laughed. "Like mother, like daughter. Marie did the same thing to Cecelia and me, when we had gotten ourselves into big trouble, and needed her help to fix it," he said.

"Ouch!"

The sudden outburst turned Yugi's, and Atem's of course, attention back to the rich duo. Apparently, it had become Mokuba's turn to experience Una's hair pulling.

"But she intruded on my secret place!" Mokuba protested.

"That doesn't make it her fault," Una scolded, at the same time Kaiba said, "That's doesn't mean you own it, Mokuba."

"But… ouch! Please stop!" Mokuba said, as Una tugged at the hairs again.

"No buts, Mokuba. That place is on the grounds of The Saitekina Academy, so you can never claim it is yours, because it is not. You just found it before anyone else," Kaiba said. "So no more of this stupidity, understood? You two were both at fault in this."

Mokuba nodded, causing the hairs to be pulled a bit, as if to intensify what both the older teens were saying.

"Good," Una said, letting go of Mokuba's hair and patting his head. "Then that is out of the way. Except… Hana!"

Yugi noticed Una's pendant flashed in a golden color, as she called for Hana's attention. As the little girl looked up, he couldn't help but think that in that second, there was something different about Una's appearance. Just for a little second. He couldn't quite figure out what, but she had definitely looked different.

_~We'll have to find out what that pendant is~_ Yugi said through the mind link.

_~So you admit something is wrong about her? About time,~_ Atem said.

Yugi just quietly shook his head at the spirit.

_**Hanabi:**_

Hana looked at her sister, who had called for attention. She noticed the golden glint from the tear drop pendant Una always wore, and instantly knew it was important.

"Yes, Onee-sama?" she said, walking to stand next to her sister… but as far away from the jerk Mokuba as possible.

Una put her hand on the younger girls head and said, "Just like Seto and I have many things in common, more than I would like to admit, I believe you and Mokuba will find out you both have much in common."

Hanabi nodded, but only just so her sister could feel it through her hand. It was an answer to Una's silent request: be nice and don't try to kill each other.

"_Well, I'll try… but I make no promises,"_ she thought, glaring a little at the black haired boy in front of her. Mokuba was sending her a glare of his own.

"The same goes for you, Mokuba," Kaiba said. "Now, run off and go play somewhere, you two."

Hanabi nodded and bowed. "Of course… follow me, chibi Kaiba," she said in an overly sweet voice.

She noticed the younger Kaiba's eyes twitch as she called him that, but he followed nonetheless. She couldn't help but send him a mocking smirk when she turned around. She noticed he gritted his teeth, seething in rage. They both knew, however, that they were only playing nice while their older siblings could hear them.

And as they both predicted, once they were out of the adults' hearing, they said simultaneously, "That was your entire fault!"

Hana glared at him. "How was it _my_ fault?!" she sneered.

The boy glared right back at her. "If you hadn't intruded on my secret place, we wouldn't even _be_ in this mess!"

Hana let all of her anger show in her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Your' secret…! You stupid jerk! It was so not my fault! It was _you_ who demanded _I_ left a _public_ place. I mean hello-o~ arrogant!" She said, turning on her heel and walking towards a big door.

Mokuba fumed and followed. "Hey, where are you going?" he called.

Hana opened the door and went inside. "I figured you wanted something to eat, since your cooking skills are beyond horrible," she said, smirking, as she showed him a big room with tables filled with any kind of food.

_**Mokuba:**_

Mokuba felt himself go red in the face. The nerve of this girl! He was going to get back at her for that.

He took a lookat all the food around him. It actually looked pretty good. Plates filled with everything from sushi to minced pies to chocolate cake to big juicy apples. The offending girl had taken one of said apples and bit into it, smiling happily as she munched on it.

He snorted, and she looked at him.

"Whut?" she said, frowning, as she took another bite of the fruit. "Eny broblems wif," she swallowed the bite. "The way I eat?" she asked.

He smirked, preparing the right words in his head. "Actually, I do," he said, walking over to her and grabbing the apple right out of her hands. She scowled, reaching for it.

"Give that back!" she demanded.

Mokuba held it out of her reach, shaking his head, getting ready to teach her a thing or two. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you never learn anything about manners? It is rude to speak with food in your mouth. Besides, it makes you look even more ridiculous than you already do," he said.

Hanabi's face turned as red as the apple, and if looks could kill Mokuba would have been dead in a matter of seconds. She didn't say anything, so he pushed her a little farther. "And who in the world settles on a mere apple, when they're surrounded by all delicious food in the world? Are you trying to show off, Princess Perfect?" he asked, sneering a little. He then did something that would change his life forever.

He threw the apple in the waste basket.

Hanabi's face paled for a second. Then it reddened so it appeared to be more flaming than a volcano.

She slapped him in the face.

Mokuba didn't sense the pain, nor that she jumped on him and slapped him over and over again and pulled his hair. All he knew was that he was suddenly on the floor fighting the girl with the black hair and storming eyes.

"You insufferable brat! You stupid jerk-face! How dare you call me that! Hedgehog-haired orphan!" she screamed.

Mokuba tried to get her off him, insulting her all the while.

"Oh yeah, you're one to talk!" he sneered, pushing roughly on her face and pulling her hair. "Look at you, behaving all goody-goody in front of the press and your family! You've never had to endure the pains my brother and I did. Compared to me, you're nothing but a wannabe artist and a spoiled brat of a girl!"

Hanabi grabbed his shirt collar and got right into his face, blue and grey fire in her eyes. "Don't you dare call me that! Do you think I _liked_ standing like an angel up there?!" she hissed, jabbing his chest with a… surprisingly paint-splattered finger. He blinked up at her, confused. She spit at the ground next to them.

"Like hell I didn't! Don't you see, Einstein? In this business it's all a game, and to Hoshi I am nothing but a pawn. He only used me and this day to promote Yama-Tech. Inc.," she said, getting off of Mokuba and brushing her skirt off. He slowly rose, looking at her back. When he tried to touch her, she glared at him.

"Don't even _think_ I have endured the same pain as you, I haven't. But I assure you, the pain of always being left back alone with the servant or Uncle, while my sister and that man are off making deals even Onee-sama hates, and my mother is almost always away taking pictures, hurts just as much!" she hissed, turning around and leaving the room.

"I can't stand it! I can't stand _you_! Kami, where are my brushes when I need them! I. Must. Vent!" she yelled, as she hurried down the corridor.

Slowly, as if in a daze, Mokuba followed her. He had never expected for her to become that furious, just because he called her Princess Perfect. It was "just" an insult, what was the big deal? She had hurt him with the insults, too… though it wasn't like he didn't deserve them.

"_But why do I feel so sorry for her? Is it because she could feel abandoned? I mean, hidden all your life, it must be tough. Ugh, great, now I have to apologize to her!"_ he thought as he entered the room he had seen Hanabi enter.

Though had no idea what he expected of the room he entered, it certainly wasn't what he saw.

The floor of the room was covered in a thick, red carpet. It had a big window in the back of the room. There were a few plants, couches, chairs and a desk with a laptop, just like in a normal office. What shocked him the most, however, were the walls.

He could find a little bit of white on them, but that was about it, because every single wall was covered from floor to ceiling in paintings and pictures. Big ones, small ones, realistic paintings, abstract art, fantasy settings and realism. Just all kind of paintings. And in the middle of it all, Hanabi sat on the floor, furiously dragging a colored pencil over a page in a sketchbook. She looked up at him for a short second when he entered, a scowl on her face, and then she continued her scribbling.

"What do _you_ want?" she asked.

He didn't answer. He just took in all the different pictures, all different yet fitting together so perfectly.

"Where did you get all of these?" he asked.

Hanabi snorted. "The pictures are taken by my mom. The paintings are all made by me and Uncle Pegasus," she answered, not looking at him.

He couldn't believe it. All of these paintings… it showed an enormous amount of artistic skill. Almost subconsciously, he walked around the room, staring at each painting.

"I don't believe it," he said, tracing the outline of a mountain on one of the paintings.

Hanabi sneered. "Well, I did make them! Look, my initials are in the bottom right of the painting. What more proof do you want?" she asked.

Mokuba shook his head. "No, I didn't mean it that way… your pictures… they're so beautiful. It feels like I'm watching a dream… or another world," he said.

At this Hanabi just stared at him blankly. Then she blushed.

"Thanks…" she mumbled.

At this, Mokuba decided to go see what she was actually drawing while they talked. An awkward silence had fallen across the room, and it made him uncomfortable.

He decided to man up and fix it. The first step was one he dreaded: the apology.

"Look I'm… I'm sorry for… what happened. Both earlier and on that day," he mumbled.

Finally Hanabi looked up at him, her blue-grey eyes curious, but wary. "Why the sudden change?" she asked.

He blushed. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just… I don't know, thought about something a friend of mine told me that same day. I guess it applies really well, right now." And he knew it was true.

Now Hanabi looked directly into his eyes, curiosity taking over her anger, though there was a hint of regret in them. "It's okay," she said. "I'm sorry for calling you a hedgehog haired orphan… and wanting to tell you: Sega called, Sonic wants his style back."

At that, Mokuba chuckled a little. "That's actually a pretty good insult," he said. Then her sketch caught his eye. "What are you drawing?" He asked.

She held up the sketchbook and showed him a picture of a garden. "It's our backyard," she explained. "I love that place already, even though we just moved here. I promised a friend to paint my favorite place. I actually wanted to draw that clearing for him/her, but… things got out of hand," she admitted.

Mokuba smiled. "Funny. I was there for the same reason," he said, joining her on the floor.

The two looked at each other and laughed at the coincidence.

"So… what was it that friend told you? Because I have a saying, which would also fit to all of this, I think," she said.

Mokuba smiled. "Oh, it's simple. It goes like this…"

"**Painting is a way of showing the world our... souls…"***

Mokuba and Hanabi stared at each other. Then suddenly, they both felt as if something fell into place.

Then Hanabi screamed.

_**Una:**_

Una walked down a corridor with Seto, Joey, Tea, and Yugi trailing after her. She had given them a tour of Yama-Tech. Inc.'s newest labs, and told them about what they were currently working on.

"Though working with Kaiba Corp. has been our main project lately, we've also been working on medical devices," she said as they passed a giant, transparent computer screen with numbers and a massive amount of text covering it.

"What you see up there is our preparations for a new type of hearing aid. The goal of it is to implant it near the ears of deaf people and make it possible for them to hear again," she said.

Even Seto couldn't hold a gasp back at this, and she smiled smugly.

"_Proud of ourselves, aren't we?"_ a voice suddenly asked teasingly.

Una carelessly flicked the side of her pendant, feeling it stir and heat up.

"_Hey!"_ The voice yelled. Una just chuckled silently, as she led the little group towards her own floor again.

"I think Hana-chan and Mokuba are still up there. I heard a few screams and crashes from the tracker I put on her," she said.

The four stared at her like she had just spoken Russian. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on. It's not that weird," she said.

Seto shook his head. "You are the only one I know who put trackers on people and openly admits it," he said, and the others nodded in agreement.

Una smirked. "Like you're one to…"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Una looked up quickly, as she heard the scream. "That was Hanabi!" she yelled, sprinting towards the direction of the scream.

"Oh God… Mokuba!" Seto exclaimed, following her.

Una ran as quickly as she could. She felt her pendant heat up with an unbelievable speed and noticed it glowing bright gold. At the same time a strange feeling began to emerge deep inside her. She closed her eyes and let the feeling wash over, entering every corner of her body and mind and merging with her. When she opened her eyes again she picked up the pace and sprinted ahead of Kaiba. It was almost as if she flew.

_~"Let her be safe!"~_ She thought, though her inner voice was slightly different than her normal one.

She quickly found the room Hana was in, kicked the door open, ready to save her little sister… and found both her and the younger Kaiba completely unharmed.

Instead Hana and Mokuba were staring at each other, sputtering out half sentences.

"Are you…?"

"The one and only… then you…?"

"Yup!"

"But that means…"

"We were…"

"And that day in the… you were…?"

"Yeah…"

"So we both tried to…?"

Una stared at the weird exchange between the two children. It had gone from Mokuba to Hana, back to Mokuba and ended in total silence. It was as if their minds were processing something from that strange conversation.

It didn't take long, though, before Hana suddenly grabbed her head and yelled, "DUDE, I AM SO SORRY!"

Una froze at the little outburst, but it was quickly continued by Mokuba.

"You're sorry? _You're_ sorry?! Nononononono! No! _I_ am the one who should be sorry!" He said.

"Dude, no! It was totally my fault, man. I mean, it was me who, like, intruded on your favorite place. I can't believe I would diss another artist like that! Idiot me!" Hana exclaimed, shaking her head furiously.

Mokuba shook his head just as furiously, the mass of hair turning into a black blur. "No, you were never at fault! I was rude to you, so technically I should bow before you and beg for forgiveness. I mean, you're _great_!" he said, his arms flailing around as to enhance his statement.

Una felt her pulse calm down and turn into confusion instead. What in the name of all was going on?

"What happened… here…?" Una heard Seto ask, as he finally caught up to Una and looked over her shoulder into the art covered room.

Mokuba looked up at them, his eyes beaming with joy and admiration, instead of anger and hate, as he pointed at Hana.

"It's her!" he stated at the same time Hana exclaimed, "Onee-sama, it's him!"

The two older teens stared at their black haired younger siblings, completely confused.

"Excuse me… what?" Una asked slowly, not understanding anything.

Mokuba smiled widely. "She's PaintingGamer!"

***Said in unison**

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><p><strong><em>AN:_ **An alternative title for this chapter could be "Introducing Paintshipping".

How many of you saw this coming? Come on, raise your hands, don't be shy. Seriously, I want to know, how many actually figured out who was behind the username PaintingGamer. And also how many figured out Hanabi and Mokuba is the third main pairing in this story.

To those of you who didn't figure it out, SURPRISE XD Yes, Mokuba and Hana _will_ be shipped. Why? Because those two together is so sweet and fluffy, that it could give you cavities! All credits for the name Paintshipping goes to Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, who suggested it back in chapter 14 :)

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: The Queen of Water, Shadow Realm Triforce, Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, SerenePanic, anna the viking XD <strong>_and_** xxxPureRosexxx.**_

I hope you and all the other readers had an amazing Christmas and a happy New Year. I know I did... though having snow covering everything is not so fun _after_ Christmas.

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><p><em><strong>See ya' all next chapter!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	38. More discoveries

_**A/N:** _After more than a month of writer's block, I have _finally_ finished this chapter! So I'm just going to shut up now and let you get to the important part: reading.

I OWN NOTHING!

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><p><em><strong>More discoveries<strong>_

_**Kaiba:**_

Seto looked at the children, who were grinning like madmen, while the words slowly made themselves clear to him. Then it hit him.

"She's what?!" heyelled, unable to comprehend it.

Hanabi laughed. "Allow me to explain," she said, standing and walking over to a painting. "The world may officially have learned about me today, but for ages I have been know under another name, an alias and alter ego: PaintingGamer, online artist." She bowed as she said this. "PaintingGamer is my name, to be a famous artist is my aim."

Mokuba laughed at this. "Oh yeah, your famous introductory line to all of your blogs, artists notes and any other stuff you post," he said. His eyes shone. "I mean… just wow… I can't believe it…"

Hanabi grinned. "Dude, don't you mean W.o.W*?" She asked.

The two burst out laughing at the inside joke, looking like they had been friends for ages. And Seto realized they had…

"So… the two of you actually already know each other? You're the one Mokuba has been talking about so much? The amazing artist who's art is out of this world?" he asked.

Hanabi blushed and looked at the ground. "Aww, I'm not _that_ good, am I?" she said embarrassedly.

Mokuba stared at her in shock."Not that good? Not that good?!" He almost yelled. "Dude… you're one of the best, among the elite!"

Hanabi giggled, still blushing. "Oh, that's just something you're saying, dude," she said, a pair of curls suddenly popping out like a pair of antennae on the top of her head.

Seto blinked at the curls. Where had they come from? And the child was suddenly speaking with a different accent; it was very weird.

"No, really, you're awesome!" Mokuba said stubbornly, trying to convince her.

The girl then smiled brightly. "Dude, awesome! Art + games = life. Fan art, fantasy, colors and explosions!**"

Mokuba smiled just as brightly. "Cool! Shading contrasts, shape sculpting glass, game ART colors, art directions animations!" hesaid excitedly.

"Art, colors, Pi. Cas. So!***" thetwo said in unison, before they burst out laughing.

Seto stared blankly at the children, before he looked at Una and the dweeb squad + his girlfriend, who were standing behind him. "Did any of you… understand what they just said?" He asked.

Everyone except Pegasus shook their heads. "It was like another language…" Tristan mumbled.

Pegasus looked at them confusedly. "What do you mean? They made themselves perfectly clear!" heexclaimed.

Seto looked at the man with a disbelieving expression. "Then what in the name of my company did they say?!" hedemanded to know.

Pegasus sighed. "Hana thanked Mokuba. Then she went on to talk about what she loves the most about art and gaming, and that it's her life. Mokuba then told her it was no problem and talked about art styles and art directions for games and animations. They closed it off with confirming they're going to be really good friends. Was that really so hard to understand?" hesaid, shaking his head.

Una laughed. "Yeah, it was**. **Uncle Pegasus, we don't speak art like the three of you".

Pegasus joined in on the laughter, too. "Oh yes, that's right, I forgot.

Seto shook his head. "This is insane…. Mokuba, seconds ago you hated her guts! And now you are suddenly best friends?" heasked, not believing what he was hearing and seeing.

Mokuba nodded. "Well, we already _were_best friends… and I was the jerk".

The young Yamagawa shook her head. "Dude, get it into your head: it was my fault!"

"You were both at fault," Una said, stopping a possible new fight between them.

Hana and Mokuba looked at each other. Then they nodded in agreement, shaking hands.

That was when Seto discovered how the two looked. His eyebrow twitched. "Mokuba… what happened to you two?" hesaid through clenched teeth.

He watched as his little brother looked himself over before a sheepish look crossed his face. The boy had the mark of at least one slap on his face, his suit was torn a bit, his hair was a mess and he had bite marks on his arm. "Well… we sort of… kind of… what's that word…" he trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.

"Tried to kill each other," Hana added looking at her feet. Her hair was a mess too, and her dress had footprints on it as well as a few smaller tears.

"WHAT?!" Seto said at the same time as Una.

"Well, in her defense… I started it," Mokuba said. "She was eating an apple and I took it from her and threw it out… then she attacked me."

Surprisingly, Una laughed at that. She was still chuckling, when she said, "You just _had_ to go rabid because of an apple."

Hana huffedcrossing her arms. "That was a very nice apple, I'll haveyou know!" shesaid. "And I refuse to let anyone get in between me and an apple, let alone throw it out!"

Una just laughed even harder.

Seto shook his head before looking at Mokuba. "Well, I guess that means we're going home now." His words left no room for protests.

Tea, who had been sitting down, stood and went to stand beside Seto. "I'm coming with you," she said, smiling happily. The young CEO quickly grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Mokuba then nodded and smiled at Hanabi. "See you later, Hanabi-san!" hecalled as they left the room.

"See you online, Mokka-chan!" Hanabi called back.

Seto laughed loudly at the sight of his little brother's red face at the nickname.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi found himself chuckling while Atem laughed loudly, as they imagined Mokuba must've looked very embarrassed for Kaiba to laugh like that.

Once he had caught his breath he turned to Una. "It is getting a little late… I think it's time we head home, too".

Una smiled, though to him it seemed a little sad. "Very well. Hana-chan, will you follow them out? I need to talk with Uncle about something".

Hanabi stood. "Alrighty~ Follow me this way," she said, bouncing out the door.

Yugi chuckled again ashe, Tristan, and Joey followed. After a while Tristan asked, "So what is it with you and apples?"

Yugi looked curiously at the young girl as she laughed. "What's not to love about apples? They're perfect in every way," she chirped. "Crunchy and yet soft, sweet and yet a little sour depending on the type. From red to yellow to green, it's the best fruit in the world, directly from the gardens of Eden."

In his mind, Yugi heard Atem wonder about what she meant, and Yugi quickly told him the story from the Christian religion. Shortly after he sensed Atem shaking his head, mumbling something about it not making any sense. Yugi just chuckled at his mutterings.

"You must really love apples," Yugi said, patting the girl's head. She smiled.

"'Course I do. It's the best fruit in the world! Nothing beats a healthy snack," she said.

"Except for maybe a good steak," Joey mumbled under his breath.

Hanabi immediately stopped in front of them, turned around to look at Joey, put her hands on her hips and asked, "Do you approve of murder?"

Taken aback by the comment, Yugi, Tristan, and Joey stared at her. A new fire was in her eyes and something similar to anger hid in the depths of it.

"Of course I don't approve of murder, it's wrong," Joey then said.

Hanabi snorted, before she turned around and began walking again. "Then I suggest you _stop eating meat_, and do the right thing and help stop the mindless murdering of innocent animals!" shesaid as her pace quickened.

Tristan laughed at the shocked look on Joey's face. "Dude, you got told by a 14 year old, who sounds like a rabid vegetarian," he said. Seconds after he was almost hit by a shoe flying past him. Hestared at the direction it came from.

Hanabi, who had gotten a bit ahead of them, immediately turned around, her face red and her cheeks puffing out. It would have looked adorable, had she not been glaring daggers at them and holding her other shoe ready to throw. "And why, meat-eater, is that so wrong? At least I'm doing the right thing in not approving of mindless murder! Besides, did you know vegetarians live longer, havea lowered risk of getting heart disease, diabetes and several types of cancer? We also have healthier skin, lower blood pressure and increased energy. It has been provenby several universities and experts," she sneered, her eyes burning.

Yugi's eyes widened. Then he shook his head. "You two asked for that one," he said and went to pat Hanabi on her head.

"You mean to seriously tell me, that…" Joey said, before another show was thrown at him and hit him directly in the face, before it ricocheted and hit Tristan.

"I am a vegetarian? Oh, yes I am. And damn proud of it!" Hanabi huffed. "Now can I have my shoes back?"

A bit scared of the girl, the older boys immediately handed the girl her shoes. Then she smirked shortly, beforeswitching to a harmless smile, though it seemed intimidating, as she said, "Excellent. And for the future, please remember that Onee-sama is not the only one with an explosive temper… maybe I'm actually worse than she is."

Yugi laughed at the terrified looks on his friends' faces. Atem, however, was less pleased.

_~Did you see that… dark aura around the child?~_ heasked, sounding nervous.

Yugi looked briefly at the spirit hovering next to him. _~Dark aura?~_ hethought back.

He sensed the heavy sigh from the spirit. _~When she threatened Joey and Tristan, there was a faint, dark aura around the child, I am sure of it!~_ Atem said, staring intently at the girl.

Yugi looked from Atem to Hanabi a few times, but all he could see was the light bouncing off her dark hair and shining in her eyes. Aside from the hint of a ferocious temper seconds before, she was the classic example of a happy, little girl with a bright future ahead of her… though, there was something different.

_~Well… all I can see is a faint… golden glow, around her. Nothing dark,~_ Yugi said, squinting his to make sure it hadn't just been a trick of the light. But sure enough, around the little girl, especially her black hair, was a thin layer of golden light.

_~Gold…~_ Atem whispered through the mind link. _~But… if you saw gold… and I saw dark, dark purple to be precise, then… but that is not possible. Especially not for a child her age,~_ hemumbled.

_~What? What is it?~_ Yugi asked confusedly. But his only answer was the spirit shaking his head. Yugi sighed.

"Here we are!" Hana suddenly chirped, and Yugi discovered they were standing in front of the building by a parking lot.

"Alice should be on her way with the car, but it might take a few minutes," Hana said, leaning on a railing by the side walk.

"Actually, I'd much rather walk home, if ya' don' mind. I have a few things to take care of," Joey said as he began to walk towards the main street. Tristan did the same.

"Yeah… I'm going to walk, too. I promised to take Seren****** **to the park," Tristan said.

Hana smiled. "Suit yourselves. Bye!" she called, as the two older boys walked away.

That left Yugi with the youngest Yamagawa, and he couldn't help but notice how different, yet somehow similar, she was to her older sister, now she had fallen into silence.

This child proved to have a temper like her sister, but she was much more outgoing. And where Una's hair was long and golden, Hana's was short and pure black. Yet at the same time, it was clear the younger Yamagawa had a very kind heart like her sister. Their eyes had the same dreamy look to them, and it was clear they both loved each other to the heavens. It was very sweet.

"You like Una-nee-chan."

Yugi jumped a little at the sudden sound of Hana's voice. He looked up and discovered she wasn't looking at him, but had her eyes fixed on the sky.

"I… wha? But how did you know...?" Yugi asked, stuttering.

Hana giggled. "Gotcha!" shesaid, looking at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. "You just admitted it." She laughed. "But in all seriousness, I could sense it," she said, letting her eyes drift to the sky again.

Yugi just stared at the child… how on Earth she had figured out he had an interest in Una, so quickly, was beyond his imagination. He hadn't even shown any interest like that in Una… or had he? He tried to remember if he had done anything that made it completely obvious to anyone and their mom that he liked Una.

Shortly after, Hana laughed again. "No need to be nervous about it, Una-nee-chan has no idea you like her… andhonestly, I don't care if you do or not," she shrugged. "Just know that if you want my sister to like you in that way, you need to get past her walls. Besides, she is still mourning that she had to leave Phil and Louie back in Denmark," she said.

Yugi looked at the child. "Who… are Phil and Louie?" heasked in a strained voice.

Hana looked at him again. "Her roommates back from her time at boarding school… those three were practically engaged when Hoshi dragged us here… living together, sleeping together in practically the same beds, sharing a bathroom, going to the movies… those three were inseparable. But now Onee-sama is here, and they are there, so she is in misery and mourning the loss. What a shame… I really liked those two. What a pity," she said, sighing and closing her eyes.

Yugi felt something cold grip his heart, as the words sunk in.

_**Engaged… living together… the same beds… mourning…**_

"_She… she had boyfriends… two of them, at the same time… and now she misses them… oh Kami, then what hope do I have?"_ Yugi thought miserably, tuning out the little girl, who continued chatting on.

"Bye Yugi-sama! Bye Uncle!"

Yugi got back to his senses and noticed Hanabi re-entering the building and Pegasus standing next to him, looking worriedly at him.

"What's the matter, Yugi-boy? You look like you have just seen a ghost," Pegasus asked.

Yugi shook his head, feeling the same concern coming from Atem. "Nothing… nothing is wrong at all. Just thinking, that's all," Yugi said, rubbing the back of his head.

Pegasus looked at him for a moment. Then he seemingly decided to let the subject go. "Very well. I brought something back from Egypt I thought you might want to get back. Please follow me to my vehicle, I have already told Alice to hold back the car."

Yugi looked at the older man with a renewed interest. What could Pegasus possibly have for him? But wait… get back?

"Uhm, Pegasus? What do you mean about getting something back?" heasked, following the billionaire.

Pegasus had entered a limousine and waited for Yugi to follow him. Once Yugi was seated, he smiled and said: "I mean exactly what I said: I am giving you something back."

Yugi looked at him confusedly. "But what could possibly be in Egypt that belongs to me?" heasked.

Pegasus chuckled. "Well… maybe it belongs more to that pharaoh in your body that it does to you. But no matter, it is still yours," he said, suddenly holding a black, metal box towards Yugi.

At first Yugi was shocked Pegasus knew Atem was back in his body… but then something suddenly clicked into place. He looked at the box with disbelief, notable to understand if what he thought was in there, really was there.

Upon touching the box, Yugi immediately knew it was true. And so did Atem, who was close to just takingcontrol and tearing the box apart.

Slowly and with careful hands, Yugi opened the little lock on the box and removed the lid. His eyes shone with wonder at the sight that met him.

Wrapped carefully in purple fabric with a golden chain fastened to it was one of the biggest treasures in history, and what had once been Yugi's most prized possession.

It looked exactly as Yugi remembered. With the eye that seemed to be able to look directly into a person's soul, and the mysterious patterns, it was truly a sight to behold.

Wrapped in purple fabric, shining though no light fell on it, was the object that had brought Atem and him together, and had made them enter a realm of magic, mysteries, danger and adventures.

The Millennium Puzzle.

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><p><strong>*Anyone getting that joke? If you do, here's a cookie. If not, it's a pun on World of Warcraft, because it's W.o.W for short.<strong>

****I call it the Artist** **Language****and it's based on the "Fangirl Language" invented by AceroTiburon, a comic artist on deviantArt. Whenever a fangirl is speaking in her comics, they always say stuff like "yaoi twilight desu. Kawaii yuri sasunaru yaoi" etc. All kinds of "fangirl words". And since I know close to nothing about drawing and art, I thought: why not have Mokuba, Hanabi and all their other artist friends speak something similar, when they're talking about art? Because Kaiba, Una and all the others certainly don't understand them… except Pegasus, since he's an artist too.**

*****Because I was asked what it is/means: Pi. Cas. So. is the name Picasso broken into smaller parts. I chose to do this, because Picasso was a great artist, and I always imagine Hana, Mokuba and their friends debating about different artists they admire – Picasso being one of them.**

******A nickname for Serenity I've often seen used in other stories.**

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_There, I finished it! I'm a bad author, sorry! I didn't want to let more than a month pass, but writer's blocks are the work of the devil himself. Please forgive me.

Btw, remember that Facebook fan-page I've been talking about? Well, it turned into a tumblr account, so noe you can follow me there, too.

nordictwin . tumblr . com

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><p><strong><em>Special thanks:<em>**To all of my reader's who haven't left me yet! Please, don't be mad. Leave reviews, read my work, I MISS ALL OF YOU! I know I am pathetic, but I love you guys so much, and I noticed a decreasing in the amount of reviews since I got this writer's block and it's killing me! I hate to do this, but please leave a review, it would mean so much to me... and remember I have opened for you guys to ask Una, Fortuna, Hanabi and me questions I will answer in a chapter devoted to just that. So if you have any questions, ask them. They will be answered, unless it'll spoil the ending of the story.

Cookies to everyone!

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><p><em><strong>See you all next time (if I have any readers left.)<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	39. Answer your questions!

**(Sorry Scae, but this is coming out now. I've been gone for much more than a month, it's time I upload something again.)**

**Other than that, double update today!**

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><p><strong>Nordic Twin and the OCs from TCIP answer your questions!<strong>

_In an old theater, Nordic Twin sits at a big table on a stage with a laptop. Around the table three different chairs are placed. One is a simple office chair, another one is a gigantic pillow, and the third chair is simply a wooden stool. She looks up as the readers enter and get seated at the conveniently placed tables._

**Nordic: **Hey everybody, this is Nordic Twin, here with something a little different. H while back I told you to ask any questions you might have, and today we are going to answer them. And of course, by "we" I mean the three lovely ladies I brought into the story. Give a round of applause for Fortuna, Una Yamagawa and Hanabi Yamagawa!

_The Yamagawa sisters and a cloaked figure enter the stage, while the readers applaud them._

**Una: **_*Sits in the office chair* _It's nice to finally be here.

**Hana:** _*Jumps onto the pillow and sits crossed legged* _It sure is. I can't wait to answer to all of the questions from our readers.

**Fortuna:** _*Sits on the stool* _…Is there a reason why I should be here?

**Nordic:** Of course there is.

**Hana:** Because you said she should?

**Nordic:** That too, but also because she is the antagonist of this story, and needs to determine whether or not an answer will spoil the ending.

**Una:** That makes sense.

**Fortuna:** _*Rolls her eyes* _Nordic making sense? Well, I guess there's a first for everything.

**Nordic:** Hmpf! Let's just get this going… I forgot one of Fortuna's special abilities is to push away people, because she is a spoiled b-

**Una:** Okaaay, let's begin before those two begin a bloody fist-fight to the death. _*Clears throat*_ All right, the first question is to Nordic from Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter:

_Was the similarity between Una's and Fortuna's names part of the original plan?_

**Hana: **I wasn't born at that time… but it was, wasn't it, Nordic?

**Nordic: **_*Nods* _It was. Because Fortuna is in fact the one I created first, ever since Yu-Gi-Oh caught my interest again. Then Una followed shortly after, and not too soon after that, Hana tagged along. To say anything else would be to spoil too much, though I am pretty sure many of the readers have figured out how it all works by now. But, in case there are some who haven't figured it out, SHHH!

**Una:** Fair enough.

**Hana:** _*Nods*_ Yeah. Okay, the next two questions are from ThunderNinjaBird. One for… oh, for Onee-chan! And then there's one for me. Awesome!

_For Una: What do you do on weekends?_

**Una:** Oh, I do many different things, but to mention a few, I really like to get up a bit early and practice my dancing, before I go to have breakfast. I also like to play the piano and sing with Hana. It's something we both enjoy.

**Hana:** Nee-chan has a beautiful voice!

**Una:** Haha, she's just biased. Moving on, I love to watch a few episodes of various animé and/or play a few videogames with Hana. Though, she doesn't call herself PaintingGamer for nothing, that's for sure. The weekends are also where we cook for ourselves, so our staff can get a break, and that's fun to do. We make the craziest dishes from time to time hahaha... ha… *Sighs*

**Hana:** Woe is he who gets between Onee-chan and breakfast. _*Grins*_ It can be hazardous to the face… and yes, I've witnessed the results.

**Una: **_*Rolls eyes* _Oh come on… I did not hit the bodyguard that hard.

**All: **_*Stares in disbelief*_

**Hana:** Nee-chan, you are able to beat Seto Kaiba in a fair fist fight… and you almost broke the poor man's nose.

**Una: **_*Grumbles*_ Well… he asked for it! _*Sighs* _Truth be told, I am really nothing but an ordinary girl during the weekends, which is a huge relief for me. I can just put up my feet and be… Una.

**Nordic:** Unless Hoshi is there.

**Una and Hana:** Don't mention his name!

**Nordic:** …Right, forgot about that sore spot.

**Fortuna:** No you didn't.

**Nordic:** Hush, you! Second question from ThunderNinjaBird.

_Hanabi: do you like Mokuba's art? Because he obviously liked yours..._

**Hana:** _*Curls appear on her head. Grins happily*_ Dude! Haven't I said that already? I don't like his art, I love it! Like, he's awesome with a brush. There's some serious skill behind some of the pieces he makes, and I am proud to call Mokka-chan my friend.

**Fortuna:** _*Stares in disbelief*_ About a chapter ago you were ready to gut him, kiddo.

**Hana:** _*Waves her hand around dismissively*_ Details, details. It's all in the past, dude.

**Una:** …Nordic, I have a question. Why is Hanabi always saying "dude" and "awesome" when she's in artist mode?

**Nordic:** Isn't it obvious? I just love those two words.

**Fortuna and Una:** … Dear God, our author is insane.

**Nordic:** Hmpf. Moving on, there are three questions from Twospirits54.

_Do you suppose Mokuba and Hanabi will start something a bit more than friendship?_

**Nordic:** Of course they will.

**Hana:** What? Eww, no! Dude, he's my best friend! Sure, he makes me feel all tingly and happy, like I am falling through the sky and everything is perfect… but I'll never love him! Almost all boys are idiotic barbarians.

**Una, Fortuna and Nordic:** ***Exchange knowing glances. Nods***

**Hana:** What's with those looks?

**Una:** _*Shakes head*_ You'll know that in due time, little one.

**Hana:** What? I don't get it.

**Fortuna:** _*Snickers*_ You'll know when you're older.

**Hana:** What? Seriously, what is it? Nordic, have they gone insane?

**Nordic:** _*Shakes head*_ No, you're just oblivious.

**Hana:** Ugh, whatever! Older people are weird. Next question!

**Nordic:** Right, this is a continuation of the previous question.

_Maybe Yugi and Una?_

**Una:** _*Blushes*_

Hana: Hahahahahaha! Nee-chan, your face is all red!

**Una:** Hush, you! As for the question, no comments!

**Nordic:** Aww, but what am I going to do with all this Yuuna-shipping material for the readers?

**Una:** ***Blushes even more*** NEXT QUESTION!

**Fortuna:** _*Cackles*_ Fine, have it your way. This is the last question from Twospirits54. It's… uhm…

_Is the woman who signed F in the letter to Atem the person who calls herself Fortuna?_

**Fortuna:** ….

**Una:** Uhm… hello? _*Waves hand in front of Fortuna's eyes*_ Anybody there?

**Fortuna:** _*Faints and falls of her stool*_

**Una:** Wah!

**Nordic:** Good lord, we broke her!

**Hana:** Then I guess… that question won't be answered. _*Thinks*_ But how do we wake her up?

**Nordic:** Meh, let her sleep. Let's just move onto the load of questions I got from Legend-of-Mitsuki when PM-ing with her, that I thought the rest of the readers would want to know, too.

_If you could ask any of the YuGiOh characters a question about their lives, what would you want to know, and why?_

**Nordic:** Ask any of the characters about their lives? Well, that's a tie between Yugi, Pegasus, Serenity and Ishizu.

I'd ask Yugi about where his father is, and what he works with, if he is even alive. I want to know it, because we hear nothing about him at all, Solomon acting as the father-figure in the story instead.

I'd ask Pegasus if he and Celcia ever considered having children. I want to know it, because I think Pegasus would be a great father.

**Una: **Is that the reason why you made him our Godfather?

**Nordic:** It is. Now, to continue with Serenity and Ishizu.

This might sounds harsh and insensitive, but I honestly want to know how it felt for her to know she was slowly going blind. I want to know it, because she seemed pretty calm and collected about it. I know for sure I'd be scared half to death by the thought of it.

And finally, Ishizu. I'd ask her how it felt for her to see her little brother turning into Malik, because of what their father did to the poor boy - if it made her feel any hatred towards the man. As to why I want to know this, I think it's something all fans would like to know one day - how it felt for Ishizu to go through that hell, where her brothers became her enemies.

**Hana:** Interesting. ***Thinks*** Shall we just go on, or are there any other things to add?

**Fortuna:** I have something do add… never make me faint again! Or at least prevent me from falling down!

**Nordic:** _*Ignores Fortuna*_ Right. I am just going to answer these by myself, since they're pretty basic.

_Do you have Skype or MSN?_

**Nordic:** I have Skype, but I rarely use it, since I got it when Windows Live Messenger turned into Skype. Besides, it uses my actual name, and I'm not much for sharing that online, nor do I want to suddenly call myself Nordic Twin on Skype, because some of my friends and my family can see it, and it'd look strange.

_Do you play any video games?_

**Nordic:** Sadly I don't, unless you count various PC games as video games. I've been a huge fan of The Sims 2, and I have all of the expansion packs and packs with extra equipment, except one. I've also played a bit of a free, online MMORPG called Wakfu. It's a pretty fun game, I highly recommend it. Oh, and if I ever get my hands on a copy of them, I'm going to play Portal and Portal 2. Because while I don't play games, I love to watch walkthroughs of them online. So I guess you can say I am a gaming-less gamer.

**Hana:** That is just the weirdest ever.

**Nordic:** _*Sigh*_ I know… I really wish I had a Nintendo 3DS, so I could play Pokémon and some of the other amazing games. _*Shakes head*_ No matter, moving on.

_Do you play the YuGiOh card game, or any other card game?_

**Nordic:** No.

**Hana, Una and Fortuna:** WHAT?!

**Nordic:** Now, hear me out! Denmark doesn't really have much of a gaming community. It is considered something for children, a new fad and toy for them, when they get new cards for various card games. And even then, many people don't play. Sure, there were a time when the _boys_ would play, but not for long. And today it is very hard to get any cards at all… it is something for nerds to do in their spare time in their basements.

**Una:** But how is that possible?! Don't they know these cards can bring people together?

**Hana:** Yeah! And what's with the racism against gamers? Not all gamers are nerds, hmpf.

**Nordic:** Ask them, I've never known much about it. And I don't think it is racism… just a serious case of bad stereotyping.

**Fortuna:** Well, the less people playing the better, if you ask me. These cards hold great power.

**Nordic:** Not in my world, they don't.

**Hana:** What world?

**Nordic:** Nothing dear… nothing at all. Moving on.

_What sort of anime and manga do you like?_

**Nordic:** So. Much. Manga. And animé is on my list of favorites… but to mention a few, I love the Pokémon animé, Yu-Gi-Oh (obviously), Ouran High School Host Club, and not to mention my biggest loves: Miyazaki movies. Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away - though it scared the living daylights out of me when I was a child, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo on the cliff by the sea, My Neighbour Totoro, Nausicaä and the valley of the winds and Kiki's Delivery Service. The rest of his movies I haven't watched… yet.

As for manga, I like Love Hina, Kare First Love, Fullmetal Alchemist, Chobits, Magic Knight Rayearth, Shugo Chara, Yu-Gi-Oh, Demon Diary - that's a manwha though, +Anima and many others.

_What other sorts of hobbies do you have?_

**Nordic:** Besides writing, I play the piano, and I love to sing. And when there is a party I want to go to, one where I'll actually have fun, I love to dance. I also like to go on walks once in a while, but otherwise… I don't have any other hobbies.

_What sorts of music do you like?_

**Nordic:** Again, I like so much different music. You can find me sing along to a creepy melody from some horror CD, to a cheery melody from some animé, to a generic pop song, before I suddenly begin to sing Bohemian Rhapsodsy. (God bless Queen for making this wonder.) But I promise you this: you'll never find me listening and/or singing along to any song by Justin Bieber.

**All:** Amen to that!

**Nordic:** Alrighty, next question.

_Have you ever had your future told?_

**Nordic: **Sadly no, but it would be so cool if I could try it one day! Call me superstitious, but I believe in the occult and mysterious things like magic and spirits, so to have my future read is definitely my goal one day.

_What do you hope to do with yourself when you leave education?_

**Nordic:** Once I'm out of high school I dream of travelling around for a while, and then go to the university to become a doctor or something else regarding medicine.

**Una:** Wait, aren't you extremely scared of syringes and blood?

**Nordic:** _*Shivers*_ Okay, maybe a little, but I wouldn't call it fear… it's a burning hate for everything that has to go into me and stay there for longer than a second. And blood is… blood is just awful! Blood most likely means someone is hurt, and it makes me think of operations, flesh wounds, murder… okay, it horrifies me.

**Hana:** _*Is shaking* _I agree with you on the blood part… let's keep it at that. Now, can we please move onto the next question?

**Nordic: **Right, let's get to business. This next question is to Una and Hana.

_Did Una and Hana meet Cecilia, and did they like her?_

**Una:** Yeah, we met Aunt Cecelia. _*Smiles sadly*_ Uncle was only 8 years old when I was born, and 12 when Hana-chan came along… so we knew her quite well.

**Hana:** _*Teary eyed*_ Auntie was a wonderful person… she cared for us like we were her own, when she and Uncle took care of us when Mama and _that man_ went on business trips. We miss her very much.

**Una:** _*Hides tears*_ Don't cry little one. She is happy where she is now.

**Fortuna:** I'd like to add, that you readers will know much more about the relationship between Pegasus, Cecelia and these two's mother, Marie, in the next chapter. But for now, let's give them a moment. But I can tell you, that they adored Cecelia to an extent, that it almost seemed religious. _*Chuckles*_

**Nordic:** Not to mention that she spoiled them rotten… I think she was the one to teach "Uncle Maxie" the bad habit of spoiling them.

**Una:** _*Clears throat*_ Can we please move on to the next question? Just to turn both mine and the little one's mind to something else?

**Nordic: **Of course. Let's see… this is the last question for this round.

_What did the girls make of Dungeon Dice Monsters, if they even had the chance to play?_

**Hana:** _*Stops sobbing*_…DDM?

**Una:** Oh no…

**Fortuna:** Please… any god up there… spare us from this…

**Hana: **DDM is…

**Una:** Good lord… here it comes…

**Hana:** DDM IS AN ABOMINATION THAT SHOULD GO BURN IN THE DEEPEST BOWELS OF HELL!

**Una:** Oh boy, here we go again. Another one of her rants.

**Hana:** I mean, sure! The game demands a bit of strategy, I will admit that. But from there on out, it's pretty much luck based! Choose and roll the dices, place a few monsters on the board and then hope for the best! Furthermore, there is an obvious lack of artistic need in producing the games. No need for background and interesting details, just little dolls on a board, enclosed in dices. Hello~o! Rip-off of Capsule Monster Chess much? And don't forget to add- _*Continues with angry rant*_

**Una: **_*Sighs*_ I apologize for the behavior of my younger sister… to tell you the truth; she is just _really_ bad at that game. She is used to playing mostly videogames and Duel Monsters, so DDM turned out to be quite a shock for her… and she is horrified with the design of the game.

**Hana: **_*Continues ranting*_

**Nordic: **Right… well, it seems like Hana is not going to stop anytime soon… so I guess that's it for this time! *Smiles and bows* Thank you so much for your questions, and thanks for reading. I will see you guys next time, for more The Crystal Items: Pendulum. And just tease all of you; here is a little sneak peek from the chapter that is currently in progress!

**Sneak peek:**

"_Maximillion, this here is Marie. From this day, she is your new big sister," his father said, gesturing to a rather short teenage girl with short, golden hair and blue eyes._

"_It's nice to meet'cha!" She said, shaking his much smaller hand in her own big one. "Mom has been telling me so much about you, Max. I am sure we'll get along just fine"._

_Maximillion looked up at the strange girl with wonder, but smiled a little at the nickname. No one had ever called him anything else but Maximillion and "young master"._

"_The pleasure is all mine," he said as he grabbed her hand tightly, his eyes shining with curiosity._

**Nordic: **Yup, so that's it for now. I really had fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy it. Sooo…

That's it for this time!

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><p>See you next chapter, aka the next page!<p>

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	40. Family

_**A/N:**_Heeey... look who's returned from the dead... *awkward silence* *furious stares from the readers*

Aww, come on, guys! Give me a break. I also need time to be lazy... that and I kinda died a bit on this site... I don't know what's happening lately, I'm just getting really bad a answering messages, too. But at least you got a double update today, because I realized how long it was since I uploaded last time. (This means you get something un-beta'd again.) But then again... other stuff has happened, too.

I don't know how many of you remember this, but I have a deviantArt account too. I am NordicTwin there, so if any of you have a profile, feel free to stop by and have a chat. I'm more on there recently. And it is also there I post my original stuff, for example poems. I have also begun my first multi-chapter story of my OC/RP-persona Claire de Luna, so go ahead and give it a look! ...Please? *Puppy eyes*

Also, do any of you remember that friend of mine, who was diagnosed with cancer last year? Well, good news! She's cured! *Dances* We got the news last week, and joy has been all over. I feel so happy for her, it's amazing. And she's getting her hair back again ^^

* * *

><p>I won't say much else, but: I've written on most of this chapter all week, and I have to say... I love it so much! I love Pegasus, he's one of my favorite characters, and I haven't had a Pegasus-centric chapter since Conversations part 1! *Fangirls*<p>

**_I own nothing but plot and OCs. Though I'd love to have my own Maximillion Pegasus to hug, but life is just unfair that way._**

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><p><em><strong>Family<strong>_

_**Atem:**_

Atem stared in awe as he once again held the Millennium Puzzle with Yugi's hands, and for a moment, it was as if nothing had changed… a year hadn't passed, and they were still battling Marik, Bakura and all of their other enemies.

But a year _had_ passed, and things had definitely changed. One of them being that their former enemy, Pegasus, was sitting in front of them in Yugi's living room with a cup of tea.

"I have to say this Atem-boy. I hadn't expected to see you back already… so what has brought you back to the world of the living?" The older man asked teasingly.

Atem frowned, while Yugi shifted around nervously in his mind's room. The two of them had switched places, so Atem could have a chance at speaking with the billionaire on friendly terms.

Also, what did Pegasus mean by "back already"? Did the man know something he didn't?

"Yugi needed me," Atem said simply, taking a sip of his own tea, pretending to let the subject go, though there was an edge to his voice.

Pegasus chuckled. "Yes, obviously, but why would he need you now? Things have been incredibly calm, as of late". A small smile crossed the young billionaire's face.

Atem still frowned. "We are not certain… but certainly, you must have sensed it, too. All this magic in the air. I swear, I even saw something around your little…"

"Hanabi is as human as humans can be," Pegasus interrupted him. "A perfectly normal, 14 year old girl. The little magic you might have sensed is probably coming from me".

Atem looked at the white haired man confusedly.

Pegasus chuckled. "Well, due to my own connection to the Millennium Items, I still have some remnants of magic in me. And it is probably rubbing off on my beloved girls, since they spend so much time with me".

In that moment Yugi decided to take control, and Atem sat back and watched.

_**Pegasus:**_

"What is your exact relationship with the Yamagawas?" Yugi asked.

Pegasus sighed and put down his tea cup.

"Well, I am their godfather," he said. "But to be honest, I've always been more like a father or older brother to them".

Yugi looked confusedly at Pegasus, who sighed again and smiled sadly, though there was a glimmer of anger in his eyes.

"You see, Yugi-boy, when I was just a little boy, my father married a Danish woman. I can't really recall her name, but she had a daughter named Marie who became my step-sister… and I loved her more than anything," Pegasus explained.

**Flashback:**

"_Maximillion, this here is Marie. From this day, she is your new big sister," his father said, gesturing to a rather short teenage girl with short, golden hair and blue eyes._

"_It's nice to meet'cha!" She said, shaking his much smaller hand in her own bigger one. "Mom has been telling me so much about you, Max. I am sure we'll get along just fine"._

_Maximillion looked up at the strange girl with wonder, but smiled a little at the nickname. No one had ever called him anything else but Maximillion and "young master"._

"_The pleasure is all mine," he said as he grabbed her hand tightly, his eyes shining with curiosity._

**End of flashback.**

Pegasus smiled. "Marie quickly stepped into the role of keeping me as much child as possible, though I was already taking to become something great. She would show both Cecelia and me the beauty of all the small things in life, and she would always find time to play with us… that is, until _he_ came along". A dark look fell over his one visible eye and he clenched his hands.

"She had met him at one of my father's parties… an Asian man with midnight black hair called Hoshi. The way he looked at Marie, the way she looked at him… it made me sick. Because her gaze was filled with a love deeper than anything in the world… while his eyes had the gleam of greed, and only the tiniest bit of "love"," Pegasus spat the word out, before a sad look crossed his face. "Of course some of my feelings towards the man were jealousy in its many forms. I was a child of 7… and he was a stranger, who took my sister away. And then…"

**Flashback:**

"_Marie, don't go!" He pleaded, grabbing her glove clad hand, staring up at her face covered by a thin layer of make-up and her silly up do her hair had been put in. It looked strange on her… unnatural._

_Marie smiled down at him and patted his head gently. "Max, you know I can't. I'm married to Hoshi now," she said, laughing a little._

_He grabbed her hand even tighter. "But sister, he's not right for you! I don't like him," he whined._

_Marie sighed a little and knelt to the eyelevel of her step-little brother. "Max… is this because you're jealous that Hoshi is taking me away to Domino City?"_

_He huffed a little. "'Couse not! But he's not like you think he is"._

_Marie chuckled a little again and hugged him tightly. "I know… he is probably so much better, but… I love him, little brother. And somehow he loves bleak, little old me," she said dreamily._

_Max shook his head. "No, you don't understand! He is only nice to Celcia and I when you are around… when not, he is just cold and calculating. Why can't you see?" He whispered furiously._

_Perhaps the young woman didn't hear him or brushed off his comment as childish jealousy. Either way, she stood up, kissed his cheek and said: "Next time you see me, I'll bring your new cousin, k'? Love ya' Max!"_

_Then she left with that awful Asian man._

**End of flashback.**

"Ten months later Marie arrived back at my family's mansion in Las Vegas with the most beautiful little girl in the world," Pegasus said, a loving look entering his eyes as he stared into his tea cup.

Yugi suddenly perked up, a curious expression on his face. "And that was Una?"

"Who else?" Pegasus chuckled and then sighed happily. "I had only just turned 8 that same October, so my little princess was a belated birthday present in my eyes. Such a sweet child…"

Yugi blinked and Pegasus smiled as the boy appeared to be counting backwards in his mind.

"When was Una born?" Yugi then asked after a little while.

Pegasus smiled proudly. "On All Hollow's Eve, Yugi-boy. Una's birthday is Halloween, at dawn". His eyes twinkled with love for his goddaughter.

As the words left his lips, he had a hard time keeping from laughing out loud, as he watched Yugi stiffen in his place.

"_I wonder how much the boy already knows or suspects… Ra knows that girl unknowingly taunts people with her everlasting distance and air of mystery… and the other one is not much better,"_ Pegasus thought.

"Anyways, Marie almost tackled me once she had shown me Una and demanded I became the godfather of her child, and that Cecelia became the godmother. And though we were only children of 8 and both my father and Hoshi were against it, but Marie wouldn't budge… and who were I to deny my older sister?" Pegasus said, chuckling again. Then he sighed sadly. "And it proved to be necessary…".

**Flashback:**

"_Leaving? What do you mean big sister?" Maximillion asked, looking up at his older sister. He was now 10 years old, and he was currently holding his two-year old "niece" in his arms._

_Marie smiled down at him, though there wasn't much difference in height between them anymore. "Well, Hoshi is still establishing Yama-Tech. Inc. back in Denmark, and I am needed as a photographer around in the world… so Hoshi thought we could just let Una stay here with you and Cecelia. It'll be much better for her, and probably also fun," Marie said, grinning a little. "She really likes you, y'know kiddo. And it's only going to be for a few months"._

_Maximillion looked at Una. She was sleeping almost unnaturally heavily. He suspected someone had put some kind of sleeping medicine in her lunch, but he wasn't sure. While Una was a heavy sleeper sometimes, she absolutely loathed taking naps. She had told him so when she was about 13 months old. That was about a year prior, and Una could already speak in full sentences._

"_She'll miss you," Maximillion said disapprovingly. "Didn't you tell me once you'd never leave your children behind once you had any? What if she suddenly won't recognize you as her mother anymore?" He almost sneered the last part._

_Marie took a step back, flinching a little at the accusation, but the hurt expression was soon replaced by one of shock._

"_Max!" She exclaimed, frowning at him._

_Maximillion huffed and turned around, holding the little girl in his arms closer. "Leave, then! But don't tell me I didn't warn you, if Una one day asks you who you are," he sneered._

_Then everything around him turned silent, and seconds later he heard the faint sound of the door closing and a quiet "goodbye"._

_Sighing, Maximillion looked down at the girl in his arms, and was met by a pair of shining brown eyes just looking at him. A few big tears were in her eyes, and he suddenly knew she hadn't been sleeping at all, but had listened to his and her mother's conversation._

_He smiled at the little girl as he carried her to her play-blanket and carefully put her down, only to wrap his arms around her once more. _

"_Don't worry, little princess. Uncle Max is here to take care of you!" He said, gently kissing her forehead._

_Little Una then smiled cutely and touched his cheek. "If it'll make you feel bedder* Uncle… den Una thinks Uncle Pegasus would make a much bedder daddy dan de oser man," she said._

_Maximillion jumped a little when she said it, before he embraced her tightly, but not too tightly._

"_I'll always protect you, little one. Always," he whispered._

**End of flashback.**

Pegasus let out another sigh. "Two years later Hana joined the family and I was thrilled… but while my words had shocked Marie into being a bit more responsible and staying in close contact with her children, she was still absent a lot of the time. And with Hoshi pacing Una through education and business, and Hana being left as the strange child who didn't really speak until she was 4 years old… I practically raised them with Cecelia… until she met her tragic end".

Pegasus felt a pang of pain and loss as he remembered the day he had lost Cecelia… Una and Hana had really loved her.

**Flashback.**

"_Uncle…?"_

_He heard the small voice, but didn't acknowledge the person who had called him. He was just standing in the rain, looking at the grave of his beloved._

_The small voice said something again. "She's not coming back, is she?"_

_He still didn't answer; he was too lost in his grief._

"_No Hana-chan. She's not coming back… she's dead. She's gone to Heaven," another voice said, slightly deeper than the first one._

_Maximillion looked briefly at the children standing next to him. One was a 9-year old girl with long blonde hair, almost unnaturally pale skin, big brown eyes and a thin body, a bit tall for her age. The other was a short, little girl, no more than 5-years old. Her hair was midnight black, shining like black steel in the rain. Her eyes were the same grayish blue as her mother's. While she had the slight chubbiness of a small child, there was still something thin and fey like about her. Her eyes were red and puffy._

"_Why? Was it our fault, Onee-chan? Was it because we weren't silent when she needed her rest? Did we do something to make the illness worse, because she didn't get enough rest?" The little girl asked, sobbing._

_This made Maximillion immediately snap out of his pain and he immediately turned around to embrace the girls, who were huddled together under a big umbrella._

"_Listen to me, both of you," he said, holding them close. "Cecelia loved both of you more than anything in the world. You two did _nothing _wrong, got it? She… she just couldn't fight the disease anymore… and… I'm sure, that if she was still here… she wouldn't want to see you like this. And I'm still here, don't worry. I'll never leave you"._

_Hana gripped him tightly, sobbing into his jacket. Una on the other hand just stood there, letting her Godfather hold her close. But a while after, when a servant had come to take them inside so they wouldn't get sick, Una whispered: "She doesn't want to see _you _like this, either, Uncle Pegasus"._

_Maximillion looked at the girl in shock. Her usually lively eyes were dull, but looking at him with a strange intensity. And it was as if they weren't just brown anymore, but… Maximillion blinked. He could've sworn he saw… no, that wasn't possible. A trick of the light, something on his clothes must've created that. But the look in her eyes was boring into him, like she could see his soul._

"_Don't lose yourself, Uncle. We need you," Una whispered. Then she turned around and left him in the rain._

**End of flashback.**

Pegasus studied the eyes of the boy and, since Atem had decided to show himself to Pegasus, spirit in front of him. Yugi's expression was that of empathy for his former enemy, Atem's eyes looked suspicious, though with the same hint of empathy as Yugi had.

"After that things started to fall apart," Pegasus then admitted.

Yugi looked at him confusedly, and Pegasus smiled grimly. He pointed to where his left eye was supposed to be.

"Cecelia's death did something to me… something my goddaughters didn't like and that you are probably familiar with. I became obsessed with bringing the dead back to life… the occult in some way. And then I got the Millennium Eye, but…" Pegasus whispered trailing off.

Yugi's expression was serious when he finished the sentence. "You lost your goddaughters in the procress".

Pegasus nodded.

"I don't know exactly when it happened, but they used to call me every single day before then, but suddenly, when I didn't answer anymore, they stopped. I kept telling myself it was for the best… they were only trying to keep me from bringing their beloved aunt back… they didn't understand. I know I was selfish in wanting her back, but a part of me also wanted to bring her back for _them_. My beloved little princesses… and then suddenly one day, Una came to see me," his voice was barely above a whisper.

**Flashback.** (A/N: Please read the explanation to the ** before proceeding!)**

_He was sitting in his office, working, plotting, planning. His big plan was close to being finished, now all he needed was to trap the young Kaiba and gain control over Kaiba Corp. to get access to the technology, that would bring his beloved back… kind of. It was the first step out of many, but Rome wasn't built in one day._

_He heard the sound of one of his guards entering his office. He didn't bother to look up at the bulky man when he asked: "What is it now?"_

"_Sir, there's someone to see you. Says it's important," the man said._

_Maximillion waved the man off. "I don't have the time to deal with nonsense and unimportant people right now. Send him or her away," he said._

"_Oh, so now I'm suddenly not _important_ anymore?" A feminine voice said coldly._

_He finally looked up from his work to see a young woman stand in front of him. Her golden hair shone like the sun in the faint light, enhancing the milky paleness of her skin and making her eyes look darker than they already were. She was dressed only in black, which was unusual… she had never liked wearing only black; she always threw in something else, something colorful._

_Maximillion examined Una as she glared at him. She wore a tight, black shirt with a boat neckline. It had no sleeves, but instead she was wearing a pair of elbow length, fingerless gloves. Around her neck, on a chain of oxidized silver, hung a smoke colored crystal in the shape of a teardrop. She wore a pair of black jeans that were neatly tugged into a pair of long, black boots with a small heel. In her right hand she held a little leather clutch he had given her years back._

_It was with that same clutch she hit him hard across the face, while she grabbed the front of his shirt with her left hand._

"_She's crying, did you know that?" Una sneered as he recovered from the hit. The guard wasn't there to see Una hit him, as he had left the second Una had spoken._

_He was about to say something when Una hit him again._

"_Did you hear me? My. Little. Sister. Is. CRYING! Almost every single night for the past few months!" She yelled, her eyes burning with fury._

_For a few seconds he looked confusedly at the girl he rarely ever saw angry, but knew to have a temper. A temper she had never unleashed on him, before that same second._

"_Why?" He whispered, feeling somewhat numb after the hits and his eldest niece yelling at him._

_Una snorted. "You really can't figure that out, genius?" She spat._

_He could honestly say that he couldn't, but he had measures to fix that. But when he tried to read her mind, he was met by a block of something. Confused by this, and incidentally letting his guard down because of it, an envelope hitting him in his face._

"_This is a list of all the letters, phonecalls, e-mails etc. you haven't answered. It is also a list of all the important dates you've missed and the news of the lives of Hanabi and I. Oh, and the speech I made for your funeral"._

_Maximillion stared at his goddaughter as she turned around on her heel and headed towards the door. Seconds later he was rushing after her, grabbing her wrist._

"_Wait a second, what is going on young lady?!" He demanded. His funeral, what in the name of God did she mean?_

_Una sneered loudly. "Don't touch me!" She tried to free her hand, but he tightened his grip._

"_Una Aria Yamagawa, you will calm down and explain to me what is going on this second! I am your godfather, in so many ways your actual father, and you will not come here to my island, unannounced I might add, and suddenly begin screaming at me and yelling me without a proper explanation!" He said, falling into the role of a father scolding his child, like he had done so many times before in place of Hoshi._

"_That is Miss. Yamagawa to you!" Una yelled angrily, finally freeing herself. "And you are NOT my godfather and uncle anymore, least of anything Hana's. If you are ANYTHING by now, it's an aqquintance!"_

_Maximillion took a step back as he watched the fury in the girl's eyes. Pure, burning hate was written across her face. She took a step towards him, hands clenched._

"_You _changed_," she whispered. "You became obsessed with all of… whatever it is you're doing. You stopped calling us back, you stopped caring". Tears began to fall from her brown eyes. "Didn't you once promise me you'd take care of me? Didn't you say you'd never leave us?!"_

_Maximillion froze and it felt like he had been hit several times with the biggest hammer to ever exist, and then stabbed in the heart with thousands of tiny needles. And it got worse as Una's tears continued to fall._

"_God damn it, Pegasus! We love you, Hana and I love you… I've wished upon thousands of stars that you would become my actual father one day, but now… you're even worse than Hoshi!" She screamed, the tears falling faster from her eyes, destroying the thin layer of make-up she apparently had on, to reveal big, dark spots of skin destroyed by millions of tears._

"_Una… sweetheart," he whispered, reaching a hand out towards her face, but Una quickly jerked away from him._

"_No, don't touch me! You're not my uncle anymore, you're a stranger!" She screamed, bordering on hysterics._

"_From this day on, you're no longer my uncle. Goodbye Mr. Pegasus"._

**End of flashback.**

Yugi stared at the older man, and Pegasus could easily understand it.

"She's a feisty girl… took me quite a while to get her to forgive me," Pegasus admitted a bit sheepishly.

Yugi blinked and nodded. But Atem decided to ask a question. This girl had been able to block the Millennium Eye… something that was close to impossible to do. "How did she block you?"

Pegasus smiled a little at the spirit. As if he was going to tell them the truth, oh no. They had to find out for themselves. "Atem-boy, you underestimate the stubbornness of that girl. Her mind practically has its own life," he said, chuckling at the annoyed look on the spirits face.

Yugi, on the other hand, seemed to focus more on how Pegasus had regained the trust of his goddaughters. "But… how on Earth did you manage to get both of them to forgive you?"

Pegasus smiled a bit sadly. "Easy. I didn't have to do a thing. A few days after our battle, Hana came to visit me".

**Flashback.**

"_Uncle…?"_

_The light voice wove itself into his mind as he stared blankly at the ocean in front of him. He stood under a big tree by a cliff. Many meters under him were the roaring waves. With the early morning sun and the endless ocean it was a beautiful sight, yet… it seemed so incredibly dull to him._

_A pair of warm arms wound themselves around him, holding him tightly._

_He looked down and was greeted by a pair of shining, blue-grey eyes and a worried expression, framed by a mass of black hair, looking up at him._

"_Hana…" he whispered, staring at the 13 year old. The last time he had seen her she had been…_

"Good lord… she wasn't even 10,"_ he thought, as he remembered._

_The young girl smiled a little, sad smile up at him and nuzzled his arm, squeezing it a little tighter. It was as if she was begging for him to react to her embrace._

_Slowly he released one of his hands from her grip and put it on her head, discovering she was shaking. But upon the gentle touch her head snapped up and she looked deeply into his eye._

_He felt a small smile creep onto his face, the muscles feeling weird after having been neglected for so long. He ruffled her hair a little._

_Hana immediately beamed at him, smiling brightly. She then hugged him even tighter. "Welcome back, Uncle Pegasus!"_

**End of flashback.**

Pegasus quickly wiped under his eyes to stop any possible tears. That smile and embrace from his youngest niece had probably saved his life, he was certain. It had made him remember the two girls he had sworn to protect with his life.

"Hana made me remember that while Cecelia was gone, they still needed, scratch that, still need me… so here I am today, tying to redeem myself to my girls. Heaven knows Una can still be a bit cold towards me," he said.

Yugi smiled a little. "Life goes on and all that?" He asked.

Pegasus laughed. "Indeed it does". He took a sip of his tea.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi smiled at the older man in front of him. He had never expected to hear such a tale, but he was very happy that all was well between the billionaire and the Yamagawas.

"I am very happy for you, Pegasus," he said.

The older man smiled. "Thank you, Yugi-boy. Now, let me ask you…"

Yugi looked up. "Yes?"

"Since I see Una as my own child… when can I expect to call you my son-in-law?"

"Pegasus!"

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><p><strong>*While Una is a genius, she is still a baby in this flashback, so she still has trouble pronouncing certain words. And yes, she also tended to speak in 3rd person about herself around that age.<strong>

****As far as I know, we never hear at what precise age Pegasus got the M. Eye. But I assume he was probably around 19 - 20 years old, maybe 21. But I imagine Pegasus planned to take over Kaiba Corp. long before Duelist Kingdom, as he was slowly going mad because of the eye. Anyways, in this flashback he is 23, but close to being 24. It's also fairly close to the events of Duelist Kingdom.**

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Soooo... did you guys like it? Hate it? Love it? Wnat to kill me after my long abscence, and I give you this? Please comment and tell me what you think!

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks:<strong> _To everyone who has waited for this chapter! Cookies, ice cream, chocolate muffins... anything you want, I'll give it to you for being awesome and patient. School is killing me, so I appreciate every little comment and message you leave.

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><p><em><strong>See ya' all next chapter!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	41. Warning

_**A/N:**_Yay! Only a little more than a month has passed since last update... yeah, maybe not so yay...

I think I'm just going to sit here and let you get on with the story... to be honest, I don't really have anytihng to share with you, that is very important. Except that I turn 18 pretty soon ^^

**_Nordic Twin owns nothing but plot and OCs. Everything else goes to their respective owners. (Though I'm not sure the characters like the idea of being owned by someone.)_**

_~" Yugi and Atem thinking/saying something at the same time"~_

_~Mind link~_

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><p><em><strong>Warning<strong>_

_**Yugi:**_

"It was nice to see you again, Pegasus," Yugi said as he led the billionaire out of his house.

Pegasus let out a small chuckle. "You too, Yugi-boy. We must meet up again to have a chat sometime," he said, as he stopped in the hallway as he waited for his car and chauffeur to arrive. "Perhaps when you and Una have begun dating? You know, I would love to help arrange your wedding".

Yugi sweat dropped. "Yeah… sure… or maybe just the next time you're in the area?"

Pegasus laughed. "Oh, I'm just teasing you Yugi-boy. But it would be nice if Una would start seeing you more… she has been down ever since she left Phil and Louie back in Denmark".

Yugi once more felt a tint of pain in his heart, but concealed it. _"I might still have a small chance… remember the kiss on the cheek,"_ he thought, remembering that one rainy day, where his cheek had been touched by the heavenly softness of Una's lips. He wondered how they would feel against his… or how his lips would feel against her forehead or cheek. _"I bet her skin is really soft and warm… maybe she'd-"_

The sound of chuckling brought Yugi back from his daydream, and he fought back a blush, as he noticed Pegasus' knowing gaze. In his heart, Yugi knew Pegasus was aware that he had at least a crush on the blonde girl.

"If you are back from your daydream, Yugi," Pegasus snickered, "I have something else to give you. Don't drop them into the sea this time".

Yugi looked confusedly at the older man, as he pulled out five Duel Monster cards from an inner pocket in his red jacket and held them out. Knowing they had to be important, Yugi took them with the utmost care.

And almost dropped them to the floor.

"Wait, but this is… how is it even possible, I thought there was only one set?!" Yugi stuttered, looking at the cards.

Pegasus laughed. "I am the creator of Duel Monsters in the modern days. I can make the cards I want".

In his mind he heard the voice of Atem syncing with his own thoughts, as one word circled through his head.

_~"Exodia"~_

_**Atem:**_

Atem couldn't believe his own eyes… in his partners hands were all of the cards needed to summon Exodia, looking like they were brand new. And these were definitely not copies, like the ones used by Malik's old underlings, oh no. They were the real deal.

Wanting to take matters in to his own hands, he kindly asked Yugi to retreat a bit, and took control of their body.

"How… how is it even possible?" Atem asked, feeing just as confused as Yugi.

Pegasus smiled. "Well… before I sent out Exodia, I showed him to Hana to get her advice. See if she would let me send these out, or ban me from doing anything before she had a chance to redraw it. Much to my luck, Hana loved it from the second she saw it… but she also felt a deep connection to the card".

Atem looked curiously at his former enemy. "A connection… you mean like how Yugi and I identify ourselves with the Dark Magician?"

Pegasus nodded. "It was before the eye made me go completely mad, and I only talked with her about it through the phone and e-mail, but… she told me the card made her feel safe in some kind of way. So… she asked me to make an extra set of it for her, so she wouldn't prevent any other duelists from getting a chance to acquire the cards, because of her strange connection".

Atem smiled a little. "There is nothing strange in feeling a connection to a certain card, but it was very… noble of her to give other people a chance to hold such power". Then he suddenly realized what this meant. "Wait… there aren't any other sets of Exodia aside from this one, are there?"

Pegasus shook his head. "This is the only full set now, since what happened to the set that was lost at sea," he said, a small vein popping up at the side of his head. "An invaluable set, I might add".

This time Atem sweat dropped, but took a defensive stance. "It was that lousy Weevil Underwood's fault!"

Pegasus held his hand up, signaling for Atem to cease talking. "When it comes to this particular subject, I don't care much. You were at the time perfectly cable of getting into Mr. Underwood's mind. You could've stopped him that way".

Atem looked at his feet shamefully. It hadn't occurred to him at the time, that Weevil might've been up to something bad, deciding to trust Yugi's innocent view on everything and everyone. He knew part of the fault was his, and apparently… Pegasus did so too.

_~"But who would've know Weevil would do something that… drastic?"~_ Atem thought, barely noticing Yugi saying the same thing through their mind link.

A sigh brought him from his thoughts, and he looked at Pegasus, who was rubbing his forehead.

"Just don't lose these, okay?" He said. "Hana would be heartbroken if anything happened to them; she has been cherishing them for years".

Atem looked at him a bit confusedly. "Then… why is she giving us the cards?"

Pegasus shrugged a little, though a hint of a grin played at his lips. "I don't know… but she said something along the lines of 'it feels only right that Yugi-sama has him… Exodia is too powerful for me to handle, and it wouldn't end well if I used him a duel. I don't even know if I could be able to'".

Atem frowned a little, but felt touched by the child's generosity. From his link with the Yugi, he knew his lighter counterpart was trying not to go "awww".

"It is very kind of her… you must tell her thanks for us," Atem said.

Pegasus smiled. "You can thank her yourself the next time you see her… I have a feeling you and Yugi will be seeing more of my darling girls…".

Atem was about to ask what Pegasus meant by that, but the older man was out the door and entering his car, before Atem had the chance to react.

_**Yugi:**_

**Later that evening.**

Yugi sat cross-legged on his bed, looking through his deck. Atem was hovering in the air above him, humming some unknown tune. When Yugi asked him what it was, the spirit shrugged.

"I don't really know… or remember. In fact, it just began playing in my mind a few moments ago, but… it seems strangely familiar," he whispered.

Yugi glanced up at him and chuckled a little at the faraway look in the spirits eyes. It almost looked like… "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were high at the moment. You look like it".

Yugi laughed out loud at the confused that then appeared on the pharaoh's face, and shook his head. "Don't worry too much about it... though I'm sure you'll hit me in revenge for the comment, once you figure out what it's about". He snickered little.

Atem rolled his eyes and shook his head, before the two fell into a comfortable silence.

_**Atem:**_

Atem sat in the air, enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening. Yugi had gone off to prepare to turn into bed a few minutes earlier and he sensed the boy's sleepiness through their link.

"_It has sure been a long day, today…"_ he thought, yawning a little and stretching.

He glanced down at the things Yugi had left out on his desk. His lighter half had decided to keep Exodia with Ra, Slifer and Obelisk for the time being, to protect it better, so the four grand gods were now lying neatly next to each other by the golden chest that had previously contained the pieces to his prison. He smiled a little at the thought; before he let his eyes drift to the puzzle that was hanging in a chain on Yugi's bedpost.

"_Just like old times…"_ Atem thought, drifting closer to the golden object. He touched it lightly and closed his eyes, feeling the power emanating from it like heat. It had a faint smell of smoke and tombs, but he didn't mind. To him the smell was pleasant… it was the smell of his old home, his power… his identity. And it was so very warm…

"_Wait… warm?"_ Atem thought, opening his eyes, to see the puzzle was slowly beginning to glow. And as it glowed stronger and stronger, it got hotter and hotter. It quickly got too warm and he wanted to remove his hands… only to find out he couldn't, and that something was grabbing him and pulling him forwards.

"_What's happening?!"_

Before he could even react, the light had swallowed him and he was pulled into the puzzle, feeling an icy hand on his wrist as he closed his eyes to protect them against the sharp light.

_~You are really beginning to piss me off, you know that, pharaoh?~_ An unknown voice suddenly said, as the hand left his wrist.

Atem blinked gratefully at the now much dimmer light, his eyes adjusting to the new place. However, what met when he could once again see made him take a step back and a gasp left his lips.

He was in what appeared to be another endless space, but not like the darkness he had been in previously and his crystal. This place was almost unbearably warm; a thick mist in the color of gold mixed with silver and purple surrounded him. Light shone from nowhere, yet everywhere at the same time… it was, however, not this that made him step back.

In front of him, standing tall and almighty, on the edge of a still pond that was blacker than midnight, chains around his ankles and wrists, and a ball of what looked like the Aurora Borealis turned solid in his hand… was Exodia.

The god looked down at him, his face appearing to be somewhat expressionless and nothing like the one drawn on his card - no teeth showing, no glare able to freeze an opponent to death… just a calm expression, like one of a statue, with reddish eyes staring intently at him.

Atem was quite sure he had never seen anything more frightening in his whole life, both living and dead.

_~Leave him be, Darkness. He's part of the plan, it's not his fault things just aren't working the way you want them to~_ Another voice said, a giggle following it.

He looked away from Exodia and noticed two other entities were there with him. They were both female, due to their voices showing it, but that was about all he could figure out as they, much like the goddess he had met, were big, hazy forms with only their eyes visible, but they had what appeared to be the outline of legs and arms. But unlike the goddess, they had both a pair of visible wings each.

The first one looked like she was the oldest. Her form was much taller than him and dyed a deep black with hints of purple and midnight blue in it. Her eyes were a deep red, even darker than his own, but with lines of silver and black, and they were thin and slanted like the eyes of a lizard. A pair of bat-like, black wings with silver talons adorned her back. From the way she was standing, almost directly in front of him, he could tell she was crossing her arms and glaring at him.

The other figure was much smaller, about the size of a 4-year old, and was bouncing around the misty space. It was almost completely white, little hints of gold and other pastel colors mixing in with it from time to time. Her eyes were big and round, with the same color as the sky at dawn - blue with golden specks. She had a pair of white, feathery wings on her back, and appeared to be smiling excitedly. Why she did so, he had no idea.

"Wait, what… where am I?" He asked, looking around.

The dark being in front of him just snorted and continued her glare, but the smaller figure grinned at him.

_~You're nowhere and everywhere at once, little pharaoh~_ She said, bouncing closer to him with an almost frightening grin.

Atem frowned. "I am afraid I don't understand… and why is Exodia here?" It didn't make any sense to him!

The dark being rolled her eyes and bent down to look into his eyes, her arms still crossed. _~What Light is saying, is that you're somewhere in between the dimensions. A place is everywhere, yet it doesn't exist at all at the same time,~_ she said quickly, sneering a bit. _~It is where our master, Exodia, is usually kept sealed, waiting for some lucky human to let him out, even for a short amount of time. Got that? No? Didn't think so, you can never expect anything with puny humans~_

Atem blinked confusedly for a few moments, before he scowled. Who did that being think she was? "Now wait a second, who are you to speak to me like that?"

~_Oh my, is that the sound of a mere human thinking he is actually _important_?~_ The being mocked him with fake shock, before it glared at him once more. _~Don't push it,_ pharaoh. _Just because you're the master of our master, it doesn't mean we like you~_

_~I like him!~_ The light being, or literally Light, said, as she bounced past them. _~He's clever and strong, I'm sure he and that living human are going to make things just right, yes they are!~_ She giggled loudly and rushed to Exodia's side. _~Isn't that right, Master?~_

Exodia didn't say anything, but looked at the light being and stroked his finger over her head, a low humming coming from him. She giggled. See_? Master agrees with me~_

The dark being sighed and shook her head. _~Let me correct that… we don't have to like you, but those of us who aren't_ naïve_, like Light, _don't_,~_ she grumbled, staring down at him.

Atem blinked again, feeling utterly confused. "The master of your master… oh, I get it! I have all of the cards needed to summon Exodia, so I am his master," he said, face palming lightly and shaking his head. Then after a few minutes of thoughts, he looked up. "But what am I doing here? How did I get here?"

This time it was Light who answered him. She hovered down to his eyelevel and smiled at him.

_~That's a good question,~_ she said, smiling. _~To be honest, we don't know why, but I think it was because of the combined magic due to the presence of Master Exodia, Lord Ra, Lord Obelisk, Lord Osiris - or Slifer as you humans as gotten a weird habit of calling him, the Millennium Puzzle, yourself and the Book of the Crystal Items,~_ she turned to hover with her head upside down. _~Because of you, the magic reacted and you were pulled here. But as I said: we don't really know. The important part is, that since you're already here, we can get a chance to speak with you~_. She giggled again.

Atem looked at Light as she hovered around him, giggling and grinning, before the dark being grabbed her and placed Light on her shoulders.

"Speak with me? About what? Who are you anyways?" He asked, looking at the two beings.

The dark one glared at him again. _~Since it can't be helped… I am Darkness Demon or Demon of Darkness. This little terror is Light Spirit or Spirit of Light. And what we wanted to talk to you about…~_ her voice lowered, as her eyes grew much darker than before. _~No matter the reasons you might have, you stay. The hell. Away. From Crepuscula. Got it, _human_?~_ She growled.

Atem blinked, completely confused. "Who is this Crepuscula you speak of?" He aksed, staring at… Darkness. _"A fitting name,"_ he thought nervously.

Darkness snorted. _~Doesn't matter. Just stay away from her. We need that little human, and you are ruining our plans by sticking your nose in this!~_

Light patted her head and smiled at Atem. _~As a general rule, just try to stay out of trouble. But if you don't… I guess that's fine, too. It's not like we can do anything Master Exodia doesn't want us to… in the human world, at least,~_ she said, a loud, shrill giggle escaping her lips. ~But if you ever happen to get back here, and you are still interfering with our plans… I guess that'll be it for your undead life. Darkness here eats young men like you for breakfast, and I don't think she'd go easy on you, just because you're an almighty former pharaoh and all~

Fear entered Atem's heart as a very dark grin spread on Darkness' lips, a pair of sharp canines showing. He slowly stepped away from the demon, keeping an eye out for any trouble.

Suddenly Light smiled creepily too, and a little sphere of light appeared in her hands. ~Let's get you back to where you belong, shall we?~ She threw the sphere at Atem, and as it hit the him, he was covered in light and pulled backwards. He tried with all of his might to stay conscious, but he was failing. As the world grew lighter around him, he heard the combined voices of the two beings saying: ~We will meet again, pharaoh.~

And that honestly unnerved him.

_**Exodia:**_

He stared at the spot where his master had previously been standing with equal amounts of amusement and seriousness. After what could've been hours, he finally spoke in a deep voice. "That little stunt of yours was very dangerous, Child. I hope you know what you're doing".

The multicolored sphere in his hands slowly began to move and twist, until a girl clad in silver and gold stood on his hand, appearing to be no more than 4 inches tall. Her long hair, the same color as black steel, reached her waist and her skin was pearly white. A little crown adorned her head and she held a spear tightly in her thin hands. She sighed.

"I had to do it," she whispered. "It is not time for me to show myself to the world, and certainly not to _the girl_. But rest assured, my Lord, it _will_ happen, and soon. Just not yet".

She turned to him and stretched her arms up towards his face. He lifted his hand gently and held it to his head so the girl could get up. With a bit of a struggle she grabbed his "beard" and used that to reach his nose, so she could climb to his head piece from it. Once she was there she flopped down on her stomach and sighed. He chuckled a little, seeing her left arm hang down from it, as she swung it back and forth, already tired again.

"I miss you, y'know. I know I can't really do that much in my current state, but… sleeping all the time gets boring after a while, no matter how comfy I am," she mumbled.

Exodia sighed a little and gently lifted the girl from her spot, so she could rest against the warm skin of his neck. "I know, little one," he mumbled, feeling her snuggle closer to him. "And you know I miss you even more. But as it is now, it is important you get as much rest as possible".

The girl just sighed and curled up closer to him. "Just let me stay like this for a while," she whispered. "Let me sleep here with you, before you once more turn me into a crystal. No matter how soothing it is to just be near you in spirit, I prefer to sleep like this… all close to you". A heavy yawn escaped her pale lips.

Exodia smiled a little, knowing sleep had claimed her at that point. "Then so be it," he whispered. "Just sleep for now, little one. I'll be right here when you wake up again".

The girl smiled in her sleep and grabbed a handful of his skin. And as a single, unconscious word was uttered from her lips, Exodia himself felt a strong sense of peace and love fall over him.

"Daddy…"

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _Oh no, I didn't just leave you guys hanging there, did I?

Oh yes, yes I did. And it feels GOOD! *Evil laugh*

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><p><em><strong>Special thanks: Anna the Viking XD, Fellowship of Avengers, SerenePanic, Nurmengardx, TwoSpirits54, Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter, DJV-Trio-blast, TheGirlWithTheHeadphones, BrandonsGirl0207, Legend-of-Mitsuki,<strong> _and last but not least _**xxxPureRosexxx.**_

Extra special thanks to xxxPureRosexxx, who wrote review number 300! *Fanfare* I had never in my life expected to get so many reviews on this story, thank you so much everyone!

Also big thanks to all of you who has faved this story so far, it means a lot to me ^^

Cookies for everyone!

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><p><em><strong>That's it for this chapter.<strong>_

_**See ya' all next time!**_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	42. King

_**A/N: **_

**Scene: **the inside of a giant house filled with books, paper and a computer on a single table, under which someone is hiding. On the floor several empty packs of rations are lying.

**?:** Are they still there? Hana, please go check for me.

**Hana:** *Looks out* Yup! Angry readers, lots of 'em. With pitchforks and torches. And... oh, there's even a big doll of you! How nea-... uhm... now they're tying it to a pole and dancing around it like Indians... I think they're chanting something about cursing the one who has had them wait for more than two months for the new update.

**?:** Oh God! I am so. Dead! Help me! *Continues to hide*

**Hana:** Seriously, Nordic, you kind of deserve it...

**Nordic:** *Pops head out from under the table* It's not my fault it's-

**Una:** Bad Nordic! Bad excuses! *Hits Nordic with a newspaper*

**Nordic:** Ouch! I know they're bad, but what am I supposed to tell them?

**Una and Hana:** *In unison* Tell them the truth!

**Nordic:** But they'll never believe it! And they'll kill me for pulling such a dickish move!

**Una:** You've had this chapter ready for... how long now? And you didn't upload it because you wanted to make a double update?

**Nordic:** Pretty much.

**Una and Hana:** *In unison* Are you stupid or what?!

**Nordic:** Am not! Just... procastinating and bad at apologizing for these things... oh, wiat, I know what I'll do! *Sneaks to window, opens it and throws out the new chapter*

**Nordic:** Here! There's more once you've calmed down, and a proper explanation!

**Readers:** *Roars and attacks the new chapter* *Looks angry at the shortness of it*

**Nordic:** *Hides again*

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><p><em><strong>King<strong>_

"_**Shadows talking".**_

_**Atem:**_

_The ground… was red._

_The sand… was red._

_The Nile… it was red._

_Everything was blood red._

"…tem…"

_What had happened, why was it all so red? And where were his people?_

"…Atem…"

_He looked around frantically. Where was his beloved? Was she safe from whatever had been going on? Was that a scream of pain? Wait… he knew that voice!_

"Atem, wake…"

_He ran towards the sound, the sharp rocks under him hurting his feet, but he didn't care. His little gem was in danger, he just knew it._

_And then he found her…_

_Surrounded by people with rocks and other weapons…_

_Lying on the ground in a pool of blood, defenseless. Someone raised a sword to plunge it into her heart._

"NOOOO!" Atem screamed, suddenly flailing around.

"Thank. God! You're finally awake," a voice said next to him.

Atem looked around and found himself in Yugi's room, hovering around in the air with Yugi looking at him worriedly.

"What on Earth happened, Atem? I go into the bathroom for 10 minutes, and when I return I find you hanging limply in the air, and you wouldn't respond to anything. Then you started flailing around and screaming, before you finally woke up," the human said.

Atem took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. Closing his eyes he whispered: "It was… just a nightm-" then he stopped. "A memory".

Yugi looked at him curiously. "A memory?"

Atem nodded. "Everything was… red - painted with blood. And no one was around but me… and then _she_ screamed," he took a deep breath. "I ran towards the sound and saw her, surrounded by my people… on the verge of death".

Yugi winced as Atem talked, but the spirit didn't care. Slowly, he felt anger creep up on him.

"I saw a sword," he hissed. "Raised to cut into her, to _stop. Her. Heart_!" His fingers began itching and he wanted terribly to grab the throat of the owner of that sword and kill him.

He wasn't aware of the shadows suddenly begging to stir around him.

"How DARE they!" He roared, a golden light beginning to form around him. "How DARE they threaten her. How DARE they touch her! How DARE they. Kill. My. BELOVED!"

"Shadow magic!"

Atem immediately stopped his roaring and looked at Yugi confusedly. Why had his partner yelled that? "What? What about shadow magic, Yugi?"

Yugi gestured around them. "Look!"

Atem looked. Then he stared… and stared… and stared.

All of the shadows of the room had crept towards him and seemed to bow down to him in respect or fear. They followed his movements and created many strange shapes and forms. Some looked like ink blots with holes where the eyes should be, others looked like the monsters a child might fear in the night… and a single one had the distinct shape of a Kuriboh. And all of them were glowing with a purple light, that pulsed in time with his and Yugi's breathing.

"What in the name of Ra?" Atem whispered confusedly.

Yugi looked around as the shadows also seemed to bow before him, though their "eyes" were set on something entirely different. yugi followed their gaze, and then realized what it was.

"Of course!" He exclaimed. "The Millennium Puzzle!"

Immediately Atem looked towards the golden pyramid that glowed faintly, and then understood.

They had gotten the puzzle back… and with that came shadow magic. _His_ magic… _their_ magic. He looked Yugi, and after a short nod of approval the spirit entered their body and reached out to touch the sensed Yugi hovering on the edge of his mind and though he couldn't see it, he knew Yugi was moving with him as were they one.

And then, as his hand touched the cool yet warm surface of the puzzle, everything happened.

A strong rush of heat and cold flowed over him, clinging to him like a second skin. He felt as if his mind opened up to the universe, a higher plain, and could suddenly sense so much more. The shadows around him became even more alive and appeared to him as faithful subjects and friends, ready help him. Thousands of voices whispered to him words of joy and praise, welcoming him back as their master. He felt the shadows bend to his will and knew instantly he would be able to perform shadow games again… he had his powers back. A sense of completion fell over him, like he had been missing something important and had just retrieved it again… he felt… alive. Closing his eyes for a few moments he took in the feeling.

Then as sudden as it had come, the heat and cold disappeared. He opened his eyes a little and saw the purple crystal flow in front of his eyes, glowing faintly. It hopped around and turned, as if it wanted him to take it. But when he reached for it, it bounced away from him.

_~Let me take it,~_ Yugi then whispered to him. Without hesitation the spirit retracted from the body, and then Yugi was in control. Watching carefully through the boy's eyes, he observed as Yugi touched the crystal.

_**Yugi:**_

Yugi had, just like Atem, sensed the energy from the puzzle and heard the shadows whisper to him, only they said something entirely different.

"_**Ah, so he is the one… the new Master. Our new King". **_

"_**Yes, it appears to be so".**_

"_**But… what about our old Master? Can they rule together?"**_

"_**Of course they can, they have done so before".**_

"_**But what about our queen?" **_

"_**Ah yes, the queen".**_

"_**Where is she?"**_

"_**Not yet found, but close… maybe the foolish humans will leave her alone this time".**_

"_**If not, we will take action".**_

"_**Yes. No one shall interfere with them again… our King, our Queen".**_

"_**Look, the new King has even put his soul into shape, like she did".**_

"_**How marvelous our King is. What joy it will be".**_

"_**But what about our other Master? Will they be able to share the Queen?"**_

"_**That is something only time will show".**_

Yugi felt confused and overwhelmed by all of the voices… what were they talking about? And who was that Queen they spoke of, since the new King was obviously himself, and the old one Atem. He could also clearly feel a strong energy flow into him from the puzzle, like cold water being poured over him on a hot day. It was almost a little too cold for him, and while some part of him knew he had nothing to fear, the part of him still innocent shied away from the energy, wishing for some kind of warmth and shielding from these new sensations.

Just like that, another wave of power hit him - a much warmer one. He,too, opened his eyes and noticed the crystal bouncing around in the air in front of him. It was as if it was calling out to him, begging him to grab it. He noticed Atem tried taking the crystal, but it just hovered away from him. Somehow he thought he heard a silent tingle from it call out to him. And then he understood.

_~Let me take it,~ _he whispered to his other half. A few moments later he found himself in control of their body.

Hesitantly Yugi held out his hand for the crystal, his fingers lightly gliding along the edge of it. It hovered closer to his hand, almost as if it had its own will, and soon fell into his palm.

Another bright light filled the room. Though this time, it wasn't as blinding as the first one, and focused, as strange as it is, mostly on the puzzle. Reacting on pure instinct, Yugi closed his eyes to protect them, though it wasn't long before he could open them again. Unexpectedly, he could feel something heavy around his neck.

What met his gaze sort of shocked him.

Around his neck hung the Millennium Puzzle and the little crystal… merged together.

"What on Earth…?" Yugi said and looked at the golden object.

There weren't that many changes to it. Actually, the puzzle looked exactly the same as before, only now the crystal was fastened to what would've been the top of it, if the puzzle wasn't hanging upside down. He tried removing it, but the it was as if the crustal was pelted to the puzzle, yet it could still move as freely as it had done on the chain.

_~Well… that was unexpected…~_ Atem said, appearing above Yugi.

The boy just nodded. "I think… we should just worry about this tomorrow, what do you say?"

Atem agreed silently by going back into the crystal and sighing sleepily. Yugi chuckled.

"Goodnight Atem," he said, yawning.

His only response was a tired mumble.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** _Thanks and a further explanation is given if you jsut click the "next" button.


	43. Back in the game

_**A/N:** _Are you guys a bit calmer now? Will you listen to my apologies and reasons for not updating, without going for my throat?

Let me begin with telling you guys how sorry I am for not updating. Things just suddenly got very hectic. My exams arrived and I had to study. I had to go get my medicine at the hospital (no, I don't have a life-threatening disease. Just a crhonic one), only to find out my iron levels were low so I now have to take extra iron along with my other pills and vitamins. (Which suck, because I absolutely _loathe_ swallowing pills.) Then my mom had to get eye-surgery done to remove her cateract so I had that to worry about, and then my sister graduated and there were _tons_ of parties. I don't know how it is in other countries, but in Denmark high school graduates drive around in big trucks and make lots of noise, while they drive around to their classmates houses, and they get _really_ drunk. We had to make breakfast, fortunately, so we didn't have to deal with puke and other stuff. But it made things just a bit more hectic.

As I said, my exams came around, too, and they went by just fine. Got two As, a B and a C in the subjects I had to study for. (We don't get examined in all our subjects in Denmark, just a select few each year in high school.) I am very happy about these results, so I've been celebrating that by relaxing a bit.

And, well, then the summer holidays came around and I entered lazy mode. And then my family and I went on vacation for a few days, so no writing was done there.

In between it all, I've also been checked for autism (which it turns out I'm not, but I'm on the line of being it... so I'm kind of semi-autistic) and I've needed my lazy-time after long days of school and studying. I've also had my deviantArt account to take care of. If you want to see more works from me, I highly reccommend you go check it out. My username is NordicTwin, and I upload both litterature and I've recently uploaded a ton of picture from my vacation. I've also posted _two_ pictures of myself. Yes. Me, Nordic Twin. My face in real life, no lie. Go check it out. As for my litterature, I write mostly about my RP pirate-persona Claire de Luna. She's "me" kind of, and I'd love if you'd read about her and give me some feedback. I'll have to say I'm a bit more active on deviantArt than here recently, so if you guys are on dA feel free to stop by and say hi to me.

Also, my final excuse: May 30th, I turned 18. And I got tons of money there, to buy me something special: a Nintendo 3DS XL. Yes, Nordic has become a gamer. I' finally got around to buying it 4 days ago, and the thing is _highly_ addicting. I've been lost in playing Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, and it is SO much fun! I play as a Pikachu and my partner is an Axew I've nicknamed Alexander. It is a cute little game, where you explore dungeons and collect stuff to build a Pokémon Paradise with the help of your friends. If you have a 3DS, I reccomend getting a copy of it. I've also gotten The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and I'm trying to get around to playing that... if I could find out which way to go in the lost woods to get my damn sword, that is!

Phew, that's about it... if this wasn't enough, feel free to think of any other bad excuses, because I'd probably use them. I applaud you if you've come this far. I'll just shut up now.

**Nordic Twin owns nothing but plot and OCs. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.**

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><p><em><strong>Back in the game<strong>_

Yugi walked to gym silently, mulling things over in his head. The puzzle, and the newly attached crystal, hung around his neck in a gold chain, lightly bumping against his chest.

"I don' get the problem, Yuge. You have the puzzle back and your new, little purple magic-source thingy somehow combines with it. Think of what ya' can do with it," Joey said, walking next to his best friend and the spirit hovering above them.

Yugi frowned at Joey's words. "See, that's what worries me. I have many reasons to believe these two are quite a powerful cocktail when combined," he said, holding the puzzle up a little.

"But isn't that a good thing? You can be even stronger and beat that Fortune-what's-her-name that much quicker," Joey pressed on.

Yugi shook his head. "Remember what Spiderman taught us a long time ago "with great powers, comes great responsibility". If Atem and I really are that much more powerful than before as it is now, then we have to be extra careful".

Above them, the spirit nodded. "We have no idea what we can do… yet. But it's always best to keep these things down, so nothing bad can happen, once we actually _do_ know what we are capable of," he said, matter-of-factly.

Joey had nothing to say to that comment.

"Mutou-senpai*," a voice suddenly said.

Yugi looked up and noticed a first year hurry towards him. He frowned.

"What is it Randamu-san**?" He asked, sweat dropping as the girl tried to say something, but she was apparently too exhausted to say anything. "Breathe, Randamu-san".

The girl took a few deep breaths and said quickly: "Excuse me for my interruption, Mutou-senpai, but… So-Sobokuna arrived a few moments ago! The class presidents have been called together for an emergency meeting. I was sent to look for you".

Yugi immediately turned around to head towards the pricipal's office. "Of course. Let's go, Randamu-san," he said. The girl just nodded and hurried after him. In the background he could faintly hear Joey say: "See ya' later!" He raised his hand and waved in response.

_~What do you think she'll say?~_ Atem asked, though they both knew he meant: "What do you think has happened to her?"

Yugi shrugged a little. _~I don't know,~_ he said. _~But we better listen closely~._

Upon arriving Yugi was immediately greeted by the sight of Una exiting the pricipal's office, her hair covering her face. He was about to greet her, but then she looked at him, a sad look in her eyes. Then she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

He wanted to ask her if something was wrong, but was dragged into the room by the first year student, Imira Randamu, and the door closed shortly after.

As he looked around, the first thing he noticed was a girl wearing a different school uniform than that of Domino High. Instead of being the new black, white and grey design, it was a white shirt with a blue plaid skirt and scarf in the typical sailor design. Her green hair was cut short and… _"Wait a second,"_ Yugi thought, as he looked at the girl more closely.

She looked at him, and immediately stood and bowed to him. "Mutou-senpai," she greeted politely.

"…Kokatsuna-san?" He asked. The girl just smiled and nodded. A light whisper ran through the group of class presidents.

The principal cleared his throat, directing the attention to him. "Since we are all here, I would like to get this meeting started. As you can all see, Miss. Kokatsuna is back with us, newly awakened from her coma, though she is not back for long. Miss. Kokatsuna, please explain to them, what you did to me," he said.

Sobokuna nodded and turned her gaze to Yugi and the others.

And then she told of her past. Of how her parents had paced her and she had always felt like she couldn't do anything that was good enough for them. So she had resorted to cheating and doing anything to climb the social ladder to achieve their praise. But she had lost herself along the way, and was very sorry for that.

"So I have decided to change schools. Start over and become a new person. I am going to go live with my aunt on Okinawa and go to school there. My parents will also no longer have custody of me, and my guardians will be my aunt and uncle," she said, as she ended her story.

All were silent across the room. Then a girl, whom Yugi knew had been somewhat close with Kokatsuna, asked: "Are you sure this is what you want, Sobokuna-san? I mean, you just woke from your coma and-"

Kokatsuna held up her hand to stop the girl from talking. "I am certain," she said with a serious expression. "While I was gone, I had dreams. And these dreams told me of how much I've wronged people in the past and the emotional neglect my parents have put me through***". She clenched her hands. "I am not the same as before the incident. Old me would continue in her usual ways… but New me refuses to let my parents treat me like air".

Yugi frowned. She spoke of herself as if she was two different persons. "May I ask, Kokatsuna-san, do you remember what happened before your coma?" He asked.

Sobokuna looked at him with a gentle smile. "Of course. I remember I has treatyed Yamagawa-sama badly and sat at home trying to make some scandal about her, to get revenge because she pushed Old me away earlier that day… then I remember warmth and a bright light. After that the dreams came, and then I awoke in the hospital".

Yugi frowned even more. _~Without a doubt the work of the Crystal Pendulum,~_ he said to Atem, sensing a silent agreement from the spirit.

_~Somehow, I can't see what's so bad about this, actually. This child has changed from bad to good… but is it really the way it should be? Is the bearer of the pendulum doing the right thing… or tinkering with the balance of the world?~_ Atem replied.

Yugi didn't have an answer to that. So when the meeting ended, he left without saying a word, mulling these new things over in his head, eventually ending up in front of the school where Joey and Tristan waited.

"'Sup man?" Joey asked once Yugi got into view.

Yugi looked at them, still frowning. Then he said: "Food first. Then we'll talk".

His two best friends laughed at that.

_**Una:**_

She was hurrying down the street, her heart beating faster than usual.

_~This is all_ your _fault!~_

_~How is it _my_ fault?~_

_~You dare to ask me how, you bloody idiot?! I'll tell you how: if you hadn't done gone after both Emi and Sobokuna, none of this would've happened!~_

_~Those wolves in sheeps' clothing would've only done you harm, Una! What'd you want me to do? Let them walk across you and create scandals about you? And need I remind you, that you gave me _permission_ to_ fix_ them? Hm?~_

_~Only because you are so damn manipulative and I am, what's the word you used a while back… oh, yeah, now I remember: an f*ing weakling!~_

_~Oh, for Jupiter's sake, when will you get over it?! And it's not as if I had to say much, before you gave in!~_

_~Watch it, _ghost_!~_

_~Why you infuriating little-~_

"Hey babe," a voice suddenly said.

Una looked up and noticed a young man leaning on a light post a few steps ahead of her. He looked to be around his mid-twenties, dyed black hair - she could see the hints of red at his roots - and brown eyes. His shirt was creased and his jeans had several big holes in them. He was also wearing a pair of green sneakers. He was smirking at her, and after only a quick glimpse at the look in his eyes, Una could see what he wanted.

"_Uh oh," _she thought, but didn't say anything.

The guy stepped closer to her, an arrogant expression on his face. "What's a cute li'l doll like you doing out, all on her own?" He asked.

Una's face turned blank as she looked him square in the eye, not showing fear. "I was on my way home, but if I know your type right… I'd say you've decided I should stop doing that and go with you, am I correct?" She asked.

The man grinned perversely at her. "Smart one, aren't you, doll? C'mon, now. Ya' get the honor of having a drink with the great Jaku-gao****!"

Una snorted a little to hide a laugh. "Well then, Mister Jerk-face, it'll be my BIG honor to say… no. Good bye," she said, turning to cross the road.

A strong hand gripped her arm tightly. She felt something inside her heart stir, but held it down. _"Not now. I can handle this,"_ she thought. An unimpressed snort resonated through her head, but nothing else happened.

"'Cuse me, what did ya' just say?" The guy whispered angrily.

Una looked at him with blank eyes. "I _did not_ stutter or mumble. I said "no". It's a simple word, really" she said, with her voice just as neutral and void of emotion. Then she got a small glint in her eye. "You know what, scratch that. I should probably have said this: hell no. now let go of me!"

He sneered at her. "You little b-"

"Watch your words," Una interrupted, glaring at him. "You might say something you'll regret later". Then she wrenched herself out of his grip and started walking away from Jaku-gao.

Suddenly a strong hand gripped her hair harshly and tugged her back, making her stumble and look back at him. A sinister looked flashed in his eyes, and he grinned maliciously. "Oh, you're going to regret those words, you little s***," he whispered and tugged even harder on her hair.

Una glared at him, though she slowly began to get nervous. "Let. Go," she said through her teeth, gripping at his hands.

He just grinned even wider. "Oh, I don't think so, doll. I think I'm just gonna' take ya' with me. and you're just gonna' have to follow and be a good little girl".

He then grabbed her neck with his arm, harshly cutting off most of her airways. Now slightly panicked, Una looked around searching for help, but no one was in sight.

Her inner-self wasn't in a much better position, unfortunately. Being she was partly bound to Una through their body and didn't have any powers as a spirit, she was unable to do anything. True, she was a bit stronger than Una when they switched, but without proper air and the baboon having the upper hand, she was practically helpless. Despite this, though, she still tried to help her other-half by sharing her power.

Una felt the other entity and fought against her captor even more. He just growled in her ear. "Quit it, doll, or I am going to bruise that pretty face so much, your own mom won't even look at you anymore".

"Let go of me, you brute!" She hissed, still fighting. She heard an annoyed sigh behind her, followed by a quick and hard hit to her face. She cried out in pain and fell limp. A malicious chuckle sounded from Jaku-gao.

"Told ya' I'd hit you, b*tch. Now, if you stop moving ,this won't hurt as much… maybe you'll even find me to be quite good at what I'm going to do to ya'," he hissed in her ears.

Una's eyes widened as panick and fear completely took over both her and her other-half's mind. She felt herself slipping into blackness, as her partner took over, dealing with the fear through anger and hate, while Una only had two words and a plan going through her head. And as everything faded to black, she let out the highest mental scream she could muster:

_~Help me!~_

_**Yugi:**_

_~Help me!~_

Yugi gasped and looked up from his almost finished meal as he suddenly a scream. And before he even had time to register anything, he dropped his burger and bolted out of the burger joint at full speed, barely hearing his friends' call of: "Yuge! What's going on?"

_~Please tell me you heard that, Atem!~_ Yugi said, as he sped through the streets. He felt the spirit nod.

_~But that… that was a mental call! How is this possible?~_ The spirit said, clearly confused.

Yugi for his case could care less. He had a feeling he recognized that mental voice and ran towards the sound of it. The cries had dimmed, as if the person screaming was talking their sleep, but the fear and the panic in the voice remained. And it wasn't long, before he arrived at a dark alley.

And saw Una struggling in the arms of some weird stranger, an angry look in her eyes as she fought his chokehold and his attempts at groping her chest.

It felt almost like second nature to Yugi, when he ran up to the guy and hit him straight in the face.

The creep stumbled and loosened his grip on Una, who fell to the ground with a loud squeak. She rubbed her throat and looked up at Yugi.

"It… it can't be true…" she whispered almost inaudibly, but Yugi heard her. He looked at her, wanting to help her, but her eyes closed quickly and she stilled her movements. She had fainted.

Yugi looked enraged at the man. How dared he? Said man was glaring at him.

"You little piece of crap! What do you think you're doing?" He sneered.

Yugi looked at him, disgust filling his mind, only to be powered by Atem's own fury. "What _I'm_ doing? What do _you_ think you're doing? Trying to rape a defenseless woman?!"

The guy grinned maliciously. "Just getting myself some fun. The s**t asked for it herself. Wasn't so tough without her words, was she? Little b*tch!"

Yugi felt as though he was seeing red, a strange power welling up in him. A power he recognized and, for once, welcomed. _~Shall we?~_ He asked the spirit.

_~Oh, indeed we shall! I might not be too fond of that girl, but this human is going to wish he hadn't even been born once we're done with him!~_ Atem sneered, clenching his fists.

_~Want to do the honors?~_ Yugi asked, already retreating.

_~I'd love to,~_ Atem said, getting into their body.

"Let's play a game".

* * *

><p><strong>*Senpai: a term often used for older people, when addressed by a younger person.<strong>

****The name literally means "random", because she is just a random character, who didn't even need a name, but I felt like naming. (I'm trusting google, with this one btw.)**

*****While I am aware parents raise their children differently in Asia, I classify what Sobokuna went through as emotional neglect and mild child abuse. Not receiving any love and care from your parents is child abuse. ALWAYS remember that.**

******Decides to trust Google again: the name means "jerk face".**

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**Aaaaannnndddd... I am the biggest jerk of all time, I know. I give you two short chapters, and then I leave the last one as an epic, jerkish cliffhanger. Go me, I'm such a _great_ person, aren't I? ...No, not really.

That concludes it for this time. Once again, I'm sorry for the huge delay, but stuff happened... especially my 3DS. (I think it's calling for me... it begs me to play it!)

Also, off topic, but I've discovered TCI:P has been added to a community. So whoever added it, thanks a lot! :D My story has gotten more faves and watches since then. It makes me really happy whenever I see someone has added it.

Which brings me to...

* * *

><p><strong><em>Special thanks:<em>** I'd like to thank all of my readers for holding on to this so far. I really miss the days when I updated twice a month, and I will _try_, emphasis on it because I promise nothing, to get back to that. But second year of high school is going to be a pain in the a** with homework, so you'll unfortunately have to expect the big delays at some point. So thanks for all of your support, reviews, faves, watches... all of it. Sure, I'd be thrilled to get a bit more reviews since they make me want to write more, but I am still thankful for every single one ^^ Hence why I reply to all of my reviewers, I'd be nothing without all of you guys!

Cookies, hugs and parties for everyone!

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><p><em><strong>See you all next chapter.<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**  
><em>


	44. A simple race

_**A/N:**_What on Earth is this?! Nordic Twin is actually updating after less than a month! It's a miracle!

Well, you better enjoy this miracle, because it probably won't happen again for a while. I had fun writing this, so much fun, but I've also worked night and day to get it done. You see, I'm going on vacation again today. I'll probably be home tomorrow day, though, because we have a family reunion to go to today, and my sister needs to finish an assignment before we leave, so we're probably officially going on vacation Sunday night. (This assignment is very important. It's crucial she finishes it, if she's going to graduate high school completely.) I'll be back August 8th, and then school starts again on the 14th, so I have tons of preparations to do.

If you're curious as to where I'm going, my family has rented a motor home and we're going to Germany/Southern France. Precisely where, we don't care too much about, but we're definitely going to stop in Ardèche and say hi to a friend, who has a house there.

Well, on with the story!

**I own nothing but OCs and plot!**

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><p><em><strong>A simple race<strong>_

"_**Shadows talking"**_

_**Atem:**_

Atem smirked as the molester slowly began to look around as the shadows stated to grip at him. And as he closed his own eyes, he felt the familiar power rush over and through his very being as he summoned the field for the Shadow Game.

Never had anything made him feel more powerful.

He opened his eyes to find himself on a big, black field made of some kind of rock. Small, dry silvery tufts of grass were standing sharp against all of the black, looking like they could cut through skin if someone touched them.

It look soothing, to him. Familiar. And Atem realized that, even though Shadow Games were dangerous and he was about to put himself and Yugi in danger, _again_, he had missed the Shadow Realm. It felt almost safe to him. But he knew it wasn't. Even though he possessed a massive amount of Shadow Magic, the Shadow Realm was always dangerous.

"What the f*** happened to me?!" A male voice screamed.

Atem looked towards the voice and smirked a little. The creep was standing a little away from him, surrounded by tall shadows. _"Perfect,"_ he thought.

"Welcome to the Shadow Realm," Atem said, bringing attention to himself.

The man turned to look at him, and Atem examined his looks with disdain in his eyes. Dyed hair, unshaved, rumpled and creased clothing… _"Disgusting,"_ Atem thought.

"You little piece o' crap! What the heck did you do to me?" The man bellowed.

Atem smiled a small, creepy smile. "This is the Shadow Realm, a place of complete darkness and where the biggest fears of humans and creatures reside, living forever in this eternal prison. And this is our playing field," he said, fanning out with his arm towards the landscape.

As he moved, the landscape changed before their eyes. Instead of a near empty field, there were now unbelievably tall skyscrapers, roads and pavements surrounding them. All in the same color scheme of grey, black, dark purple and dark blue with the faintest hints of red here and there. The buildings were without doors, but had several dark windows surrounding them. Between the buildings were narrow alleys, which made it all look that much more sinister. Atem grinned; it couldn't have been more perfect.

"What the hell, what's going on?!" The disgusting man sneered.

Atem looked around as the shadows approached him, one coming close to his face and telling him the name of the man.

Atem thought about that name, while patting the shadow on its head and thanking it for its help. _"Jaku-gao. Doesn't that name mean…"_

_~Jerk-face,~_ Yugi replied. _~I kind of feel sorry for the guy, with a name like that… no, just kidding, I don't feel sorry at all~._

Atem smirked. _~Let's show him what it's like being the chased one~._

All he got of a reply was the feeling of Yugi heavily, and silently, agreeing.

"This is a Shadow Game," Atem said. "A game where all is at risk and the loser must face a horrible punishment".

Jaku-gao glared at him and scoffed. "Yeah, nice story freak. What do ya' think I am, a moron?"

Atem smiled mockingly. "No, a moron usually has a higher IQ than you. _You_ are lower than that. But I digress, I was expecting you to need proof," he said, raising his hand.

Immediately, as if following some distant call, a mighty being rose from the ground. It appeared to have no physical form, but was more like a big shadowy blob. It had many long, thin arms with clawed hands and tentacles which twisted and grabbed at anything and everything they could. It had no eyes, but instead a giant mouth and nose. Without even thinking about it, knowledge filled Atem's mind and he started speaking:

"This is a Shadow Being*. It was created from the fears of humans in the past, and took a physical form in this realm. Some are pretty harmless, while others, like this one, are highly dangerous". Another sinister grin creeped onto his face. "Be careful, he bites".

Almost to prove his point, the Shadow Being reached out for Jaku-gao and lifted him high into the air and held him over its mouth. The man screamed like there was no tomorrow and begged to be put down, yelling he would play the "damn game".

Atem quickly snapped his fingers and the creature disappeared.

"Any questions before we begin?" Atem asked, keeping a polite mask up.

"Just two…" Jaku-gao gasped, but managing a glare at the spirit. "What kind of sick game are we playing, and what's in it for the winner?"

Atem smiled. "I'm glad you asked". He pointed to the city in front of him. "We are going to have a simple race, something even a 3 year old can do. The goal is down by that monument," he gestured to a giant, silver obelisk "and the person to get there first wins".

Jaku-gao grinned cockily. "That simple? Seriously, kid. I'm a grown, fit man and you're a toothpick of a wimp. You seriously think you can beat me? I should just beat you up right now, freak, but I'd rather do it after you've lost, just to rub it into your face a little. And then I'll go back and get that little slut".

Atem narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that. There's more to this race than the eye may see".

Jaku-gao spat and scoffed again. "Yeah right. See ya' at the finish line": Then he tore off.

Atem smiled coldly, and yelled after Jaku-gao: "Don't you want to know what the winner gets?"

The man turned around shortly to look at Atem, who then said: "The winner wins his life and freedom!" Then he himself tore down the street… but in another direction.

_**Jerk-face/Jaku-gao:**_

He looked after the spiky-haired freak for a few seconds. Was the kid mad? Wasn't he going in the wrong direction? Then he shrugged and turned around to run towards the goal.

"_F*cking freak. I am going to kill him once he finally gets to the goal. Hah, loser," _he thought, running at full speed.

It was quiet around him, not a wind was moving. Not that he cared, all he was thinking about was the women he had already had, willing or not, and his future "trophy": the blonde girl.

"_Once I get back there, I will take her and do her while she's still unconscious. She won't even know it, and when she finally figures it out I'll be long gone, and the police won't get me. Who would believe the little bitch anyways?"_ He was grinning evilly as the thoughts ran through his mind.

As he ran, the silence fell around him even more. His own footsteps sounded too loud, and if he had cared to look around, he'd stopped and thought about things for a few seconds. About whom he was bad mouthing and threatening.

Slowly, something Jaku-gao slow down without him noticing it.

"_Even better, I could also just kill her. Or them both. No… now I know it. I'll beat the boy to near unconsciousness, then I'll take the girl in front of his eyes, kill her and then him. Yes, that's what I'll do. It will break him, to see the b*itch he tried to protect die and his efforts would be in vain"._

He continued to run for what felt like hours, still oblivious to the fact he was slowing down. All he had focus on was the goal nearing getting nearer, and the freak not being anywhere in his sight.

"_Idiot,"_ he thought. Then: _"Wait, why isn't the goal getting any closer?"_

It wasn't. Jaku-gao was completely stuck to the ground, where he noticed something black had wrapped around his feet and were going up his legs.

And then he heard them. The whispers.

"_**Who dares to speak ill about our Masters?"**_

"_**Dares to threaten the King's life?"**_

"_**Dares to try to defile the purity of the Queen and kill her?"**_

"_**Dares to contaminate **_**our**_** darkness with his pathetic excuse of **_**power**_**?"**_

"_**You will be punished, **_**human**_**".**_

Jaku-gao discovered the black stuff was shadows, which quickly wrapped all over his body as they spoke. And by each word they spoke they tightened their grip. Soon he was wrapped from his shoulders to his feet in thick, cold and almost slimy shadows, and raised into the air and hung with head down.

"_**Bones will be broken".**_

"_**Flesh shall be ripped".**_

"_**Screams will be heard, and all will laugh".**_

He tried to fight against the shadows, but they were too strong. The shadows which weren't tied around him clawed at his face, and he noticed he was above a giant mouth. A mouth with razor-sharp teeth. The mouth of that beast he had seen earlier.

The shadows loosened their grip. It wasn't long, before he was pummeling towards the dark mouth.

He screamed.

"_**Kill".**_

"_**Destroy".**_

"_**Devour".**_

"Stop".

_**Atem:**_

Atem looked on from a distance, as he watched the shadows do their trick on the foolish human. Unbeknownst to Jaku-gao, they had been only a few meters from the goal all the time, but his cruel and evil mind had made the Shadow Beings react. They had played a trick on the humans' mind as he threatened both him, Yugi and Una, though he didn't get why they would do that… it's wasn't like she had a connection to the shadows like him.

It was when the shadows moved to kill Jaku-gao, he stepped forwards and commanded them to stop, then chuckled as they grabbed one of his feet, still leaving him hanging with his head upside down.

"The game is over. You lost," Atem said calmly, walking so he stood almost beneath Jaku-gao.

The man thrashed and screamed. "What the crap have you done to me you freak? Psycho!"

Atem somehow kept up a calm look and voice as he spoke. "I have done nothing; you did all of this to yourself".

A stream of profanities fell from 's mouth, as he demanded how he could have done this to himself.

Atem smirked as he took a deep breath. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? Shadow Games do not follow the usual games of humans, they are always far more dangerous, and you have to be really careful," he explained blankly. "In this game, the shadows made the goal unreachable because of your destructive mindset, and because you stayed in open sight. It was not only a game of speed, but also of stealh".

Jaku-gao spat at him, only for the shadows to loosen their hold on him again, until he begged it not to drop him. Then he screamed: "So you're saying I'd never have won anyways? Is that it?"

Atem smiled the sinister smile again. "Oh no, you could have won… but unfortunately, you not only stayed in plain sight, you also did the worst thing you could have done: threatened me. And the shadows don't like it when their Master is threatened".

As if to prove his point, shadows flocked around him and wove around his arms and legs like cats in need of attention. And when he patted the "head" of one, a content sigh escaped it, while the other shadows made sounds of disappointment.

Atem suddenly got a hard look in his eyes. "You rely on brute force and physical strength to get your way with everything. How many innocent women have had to suffer the shame and pain because of your actions? How many minds have you broken? It ends. Today," he sneered and lifted his hand, pointing towards Jaku-gao.

"Penalty game! Reverse Force!"

A blinding light erupted from Atem's hand. As it hit Jaku-gao's body it illuminated the entire area and a scream was heard. Once it faded, they were no longer in the Shadow Realm, but in the alley where it had all begun. Una was still lying in the alley, but with Yugi's spirit hovering around her protectively. Atem smiled shortly at the sight, but upon hearing a tired groan from behind him, he turned around and looked at Jaku-gao, who was bordering unconsciousness. Atem stared at him blankly.

"For far too long, you have used your strength to intimidate and threaten those around you. Now, whenever you try to use that strength to harm others in any way that power will instead lock down your muscles, and you won't be able to do a thing," his voice lowered. "You will be helpless, at the mercy of others, for the rest of your life. Never shall an innocent cover in fear and wake up screaming because of you". His eyes narrowed. "And you shall instead experience that fear for yourself".

Jaku-gao looked at him once, before he closed his eyes and fainted.

Immediately, Atem returned to his lighter half and kneeled by his and Una's side. "It is done. He will never be able to harm anyone again".

Yugi simply nodded, as he continued to fuss over Una. "I think she's just unconscious, but I'm not sure. Could you check her pulse for me?"

Atem nodded and put his fingers to the girl's neck. He quickly found a heartbeat, though it was a bit faster than usual. And then, suddenly, her eyes opened, though they didn't show any signs of her actually being "there". They were blank, almost life-less. Yet, she opened her mouth and spoke a few whispered words.

"So… it really _is_ you," she turned her gaze weakly towards Atem's face, a tiny little spark appearing in them. "Funny… how fate is… playing with us…" a weak smile appeared on her face, as she managed to touch his hand. "But… I will not allow it… there cannot be another… tragedy…" she mumbled, before her eyes closed and she was limp again.

Atem and Yugi stared at her, completely confused. It had been as if something else had been controlling her. Atem felt her pulse slow down, and soon her eyes fluttered again, a groan escaping her lips. And it was in that moment, Atem felt a hint of recognition. Like he had experience something similar before. and it made him feel oddly… protective, of this suspicious human.

"You better take control," Atem whispered. "I think she is waking up, and it'd be better if you were the one to wake her".

Yugi nodded, and they quickly switched. Once back in spirit-form, Atem went into the street, as he heard Una wake and talk with Yugi, and looked to the sky. It appeared that not a second had passed since they had found Una. In the distance, he could see Tristan and Joey storm towards them, and he informed Yugi of this, so he could lead them to the place. And it wasn't long, before they had helped Una to stand, though she assured them she was fine.

"Are you sure we shouldn't get you to the hospital?" Yugi asked, when Una said she wanted to go home. "What about your… condition?"

The girl huffed. "The kid told you about that, did she?" She asked. "It'll be fine, I'm just a little exhausted. All I really want to do now, is go home, do a bit of work, eat a good dinner with Hana, have a nice cup of tea and go to bed… but you are welcome to tag along if you'd like. We have plenty of space at the manor".

Atem looked at Yugi, while Tristan said he had a date with Serenity and Joey had work, though it sounded more like they wanted to give Yugi and Una some time to themselves. Yugi, himself, sent the spirit a discreet, questioning look.

_~What do you say? I mean, I'd feel better if I knew Una was safe, but I don't know about you,~_ Yugi said through their link.

Atem shrugged. _~Can't hurt, I suppose. Besides, I've gotten curious about this woman, now. Something is clearly residing within her, I'm just not sure she's aware of it~_

Yugi nodded decisively and said: "I'd like to go with you, if it's not too much of a bother. Just to… uhm… make sure you're safe".

The girl smiled. "Come along, then. I'll call the car".

And then it was decided. Atem shot a last look at Jaku-gao. Someone would find him soon enough, and if they didn't… Atem wasn't too concerned about that. He would wake up at some point.

Not that he really cared if the human did wake or not.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_** Yup, that was it for this time for this chapter! Next chapter, you'll get to see how and where the Yamagawas live.

But wait! There's more! A little extra something for you ^^ Following is originally a birthday gift for my friend **Fellowship of Avengers**. But! If you guys like it enough, and I will find the time some day soon, it will be *drumroll* a new project from Nordic Twin! Yes, everyone, a second and seperate story from Nordic Twin, featuring new characters, pairings and backstories. You see, in this story I really own nothing but plot and ideas. Why, not even all of the ideas and part of the plot. I have been writing with FoA these past few days, and she has given me a lot of good feedback and ideas. The two OCs you will meet in this story, Amira and Yoru, belong to **Fellowship of Avengers**. I own nothing else but the plot.

Hope you'll all enjoy it!

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><p><em><strong>The Princess and the Thief<strong>_

_The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes, was a room. A strange room. Certainly not the one she had gone to sleep in._

"Where am I?"

_She sat up in the bed, on which she was lying, and looked around. The room was big, way bigger than her actual room, and made almost completely out of stone. Lavish carpets, pillows, vases, statues and beautiful furniture filled it and gave it sort of a... homey feeling. The bed itself was surrounded by light drapes to hide whoever was lying on the bed from unwanted, prying eyes. But one of the sides had the drapes pulled away, thus she could see the room._

"What am I doing here? Is... is this a dream?"

_She crawled over the bed - noticing it was quite soft, but not too soft - and took a closer look at her new surroundings. She noticed a little night stand with books stood by the bed, as well as what appeared to be a type of decanter. She reached out and lifted it, and upon hearing liquid spalsh around in it, she assumed it was water. It made sense, since there were small bowls next to it. A few feet away there was a window with a couch underneath it, in the right height so someone could sit there and look out of the window. Through it she could see the pale light from the moon._

_A small rustle suddenly flitted across the room. She stiffened and held her breath, feeling excited and anxious for some reason._

"Why... why does it feel like I'm expecting some...thing? Or is it someone?" _She stood from the bed and walked a bit into the room, looking around._

_"Oh... I'm sorry, did I wake you my Treasure?"_

_She turned around at the sound of the voice, and saw a young man stand in front of her. His hair was long and white, but his skin was darkly tanned, appearing almost black in the night. He wore a set of short, loose pants and a long, red hooded cape with white lining. He wore a few simple golden pieces of jewelry, making him look almost regal, but otherwise his appearances was quite simple._

_The words crossed her lips before she even began thinking about them. "No, I woke on my own... but you're later than usual..."_

_He smiled gently at her, as he took a step towards her. "I apologize, it was difficult to sneak past the guards tonight. But... I wanted to, no I_needed_ to see you," he said, holding his arms out towards her._

_Almost instantly she walked the rest of the was towards him and let herself envelop in his arms. She felt herself calm completely as she inhaled his scent. _"Why... how can it be... that this stranger makes me feel so calm? Why does I feel like I've known him all my life?"

_"I was worried about you," she whispered. "I heard the guards yelling before I went to bed... I thought... I thought they had caught you"._

_He chuckled lightly. "It takes more than a few measly guards to catch _me_, my Jewel. Not to be rude, but... your guards could really need a few extra lessons in catching thieves"._

_"Or maybe you are just too good at what you do, for them to even realize you're there," she teased, as she melted further into his embrace when he tightened his hold on her. Then she sighed. "Not that I complain... it means I get to spend more time with you that way"._

_Suddenly something soft touched her forehead, and immediately she blushed and hid her face in his chest, flustered by his kiss. She could feel him grin. __"What can I say? I _am_ the thief king after all. Nobody is as good as me"._

"Thief king... why does that title sound so familiar?"

_She looked up at him. "So you're saying you could literally sneak in anywhere and steal anything you'd want? Is that it?" She teased again._

_He grinned even wider. "That's exactly what I'm saying, my Jewel," he poked her nose. "And don't you forget it!"_

_She huffed. "Getting a bit full of ourselves, aren't we 'Kefia?"_

"'Kefia... that nickname... thief king 'Kefia... what does it remind me of?"

_He smirked and bent down to touch his nose to hers. "Well, I sneaked into your life and stole your heart, didn't I?"_

_She blushed heavily as she stared into his red eyes. So much like her own, yet so much different. Cruel to some people, but loving to her._

"Red eyes like my own? But my eyes are purple... aren't they?"

_"I guess you did," she whispered, feeling her eyes get heavier. He smiled and lightly cupped one of her cheeks, stroking it with his thumb._

"Oh good Ra, I want this strnager to kiss me... wait... Ra?"

_He leaned forward just a bit, looking into her eyes for approval, before he closed the gap between them, and she melted into his kiss. His lips were warm and dry against hers, because of the sand and the endless sun made them crack. But it didn't matter to her. She loved those lips. Loved him._

_Before she knew it she was being lifted and gently placed back on the bed, still being kissed by him. After a little while, though, he pulled away and lovingly stroked her hair._

_"Sleep now, my Beloved," he whispered._

_"But I don't want to you go," she sighed tiredly._

_He smiled at her again. "Do not worry, my most important one, I will stay until you have fallen asleep. And then we will see eachother again tomorrow"._

_She gripped his hand on her face tightly. "Do you promise, 'Kefia?" She whispered, feeling her eyes get heavier by the second._

_He lightly took her hand and kissed her palm. "I promise. Now sleep. The country will need their princess awake and alert in the morning," he said, smirking._

"Wait, their princess? What princess?"

_She finally closed her eyes, feeling her hand drop to her side. And as a light blanket was pulled over her to protect her, she felt the pair of lips meet hers again, and the young man whispered:_

_"Sleep now, my Amira"._

"Yoru. Come on, sis, wake up! It's time to start a new day!"

Yoru looked up into the smiling face of her twin brother, Yugi. She grinned. "Morning Onii-chan," she said.

Yugi smiled wider. "Morning, my Imouto. Slept well?"

Yoru tried to think back and remember her dream, but all she seemed to recall was being held in a pair of warm arms and feeling safe and loved. She smiled a little. She somehow knew it had been an amazing dream.

"Yeah, I had a good dream. Can't remember much of it, though. Now, let's get to breakfast!"

And as Yoru Mutou began her day, she had a feeling it was going to be eventful.

_"Something exciting is going to happen, I just know it!"_ She thought happily.

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><p><p>

And thus begins the tale of "The Princes and the Thief". I hope you all enjoyed it! I know I enjoyed writing it ^^

_**Special thanks:** _I don't have the time to write all the names who deserve to be thanked, because I'm leaving soon, and you all know I love and thank all who read, review, watch/follow me and the story, so cookies to all! But I would like to give a shout-out to **_mika . laylani_ **and her brother who sent me a very nice message ^^ Thanks you two! Hope you liked this chapter :)

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><p><em><strong>See you all next chapter!<strong>_

_**-Nordic Twin**_


	45. The Yamagawa Manor

**_A/N_: **Hey everyone! *Dodges tomatoes being thrown* Hehe... sorry for the long wait... and this is not even an "actual" chapter, sorry about that... but things have been hectic for me, and to be honest, I haven't had the time to get to work on the next chapter, because I have my other projects on deviantArt. (Which I highly suggest, once again, that you go check out. You can even see pictures of me. Yes, Nordic Twin in real life!)

But back on track, I am uploading this as an apology? And what is it? Well, it's a guided tour by me, Una and Hana of their home - The Yamagawa Manor. This also serves as an introduction of all of their "servants". This is actually an _ancient _project I started ages ago, and have finally finished.

I hope you enjoy! For once, I actually own everything in this "chapter", except for the systems made later in the tour.

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><p><strong>(Chibi-Nordic Twin pops in.)<strong>

**Nordic: **Hi everybody! Today, we're going on a fieldtrip to the Yamagawa mansion! The trip includes a tour of the mansion, a presentation of the people working in/around it and their living quarters, the area around it and, if possible, a little round of chit-chat with Una and Hana. Any questions? Good. Let's go!

_**The main area.**_

**Nordic: **Let's begin with the area around the Yamagawa mansion. Okay, listen up!

The home of the Yamagawa family is build where there once was a big orchard, close to Domino City. The reason is that all of the female members of the Yamagawa family love the outdoors and nature. Furthermore, Hanabi loves gardening, so since their home in Denmark was in the middle of Copenhagen, the capital, it was a demand that their new home was surrounded by plants of all sorts. Thus they bought the orchard. And Hana loves it. The garden is where she escapes to after a long and hard day, or if she needs a bit of peace. Una likes to hang around the flowerbeds and lawns near the house, as their smell help her calm down. And to the joy of all, there are still plenty of fruit trees and berry bushes left.

**Nordic: **And that is quite lucky, because Hanabi here loves apples.

**Hanabi: **Apples? Where?! Apples, apples, apples! Yay!

**Nordic:** Haha. (Smiles.) You sure do love apples. Now, did everybody understand things so far? Brilliant! Let's move on to the details about the garden.

The garden is, as I have implied, a mix of different fruit trees, lawns and flowerbeds. However, it's organized in sort of a pattern. The lawns are pretty much everywhere, but the flowerbeds are kept close to the mansion and around the many terraces and gazebos, which are placed in different spots around the garden. It is mostly Una, who use these, as Hanabi prefer to run around the trees. Mrs. Yamagawa is rarely home, but when she is, she likes to stay close to the house. Mr. Yamagawa doesn't care about gardens, so he won't even step into it, unless it's deemed necessary. But I'm getting off track here. What I'm trying to say is, that their garden is a very complex place, and Hanabi use many hours out here. For example in the miniature forest, her greenhouse or in one of her many secret hiding spots.

There's also a pool… and a climbing wall… and a skateboard ramp… and a tennis court… yeah, they like sports.

**Nordic: **Sounds pretty cool, right? Okay, next part.

Of course, since they decided to build their home outside of Domino City, you might say to yourself: "Wait, Una and Hana can't walk all the way to school. How on Earth do they do it?" And you're right, they can't. But they _can_ drive to the Yama-Tech. Inc. HQ in the middle of the city, and walk from there. That's not that far from Domino High, and the Saitekina Academy. So to save a few drops of fuel, and avoid the stares they'd get by arriving in a car, they walk from there.

**Nordic: **That, or Una drives them to the HQ on her motorcycle. Let's go on to the living quarters for the people working in the Yamagawa mansion. And, of course, meet them!

_**The staff and their quarters.**_

**Nordic: **The people working at the Yamagawa mansion all live in a house close to the mansion itself.

The house is three floors tall, built of red bricks and has a private garden for the staff to relax in during the weekends, when they're technically not working. Una and Hana can always request for the staff's help, but they don't have to do it.

A little bit of the money the staff make goes to rent. If they break something they have to pay for it themselves, and they're in charge of keeping the house clean. In other words, it's like a normal house you rent and share with a couple of roommates, but much cheaper, since they're many about the rent. And that is good, because most of the people hired, are students. The only downside is that they have to travel a bit far, to get to their classes. But with a nice place to stay, low rent and a good secure job, they don't complain.

**Nordic: **Sweet deal, right? I'd sure love to work under Una and Hana, if I got to live in a place like that.

The staff at the Yamagawa mansion is small, yes, but still taken very good care off. They like their young misses, and mostly refer to them as 'miss' and 'little miss'.

_**Nichol Zanis:**_ a Greek and one of three of the chefs working in the kitchen. Nichol is in charge of making breakfast, and making sure Una and Hana get a healthy start on the day. He's a student at a culinary school, wanting to learn how to make Japanese cuisine, and bring it back to Greece. He met Marie Yamagawa a month before she moved to Japan, and she offered him a place in their household, so he wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to stay. He likes working for the Yamagawa's, and especially enjoys the liveliness of his young misses. Hanabi sees him as her partner in crime, and Una sees him as almost family. His cooking talent lies in baking of different kinds.

_**Nashi Inoue: **_with her first name meaning 'pear' Nashi is the fruit, vegetable and dessert expert out of the three chefs working at the Yamagawa mansion. She's small, but with a big heart and kindness to spare. Her hair is purple and her eyes are blue. She's the one in charge of any kind of dessert making, and helps out in the garden from time to time. Whenever Hanabi wants a healthy snack, Nashi is the one she seeks out. And Nashi loves making different kind of vegetarian dishes for the 'little miss' as she is a vegetarian too. She's dating one of the gardeners, Ninjin, and is almost finished with her studies to become a pastry chef, though she knows how to cook regular food too.

_**Kino Kazumi: **_the oldest of the chefs and the only one, who's finished at cooking school, Kino is in charge of pretty much everything in the kitchen. Standing tall with black hair and dark grey eyes, Kino seems intimidating to many with her silent nature. But actually, she's very nice, and has taken Nichol and Nashi under her wings. She cares for Una and Hana as if they were her own little sisters, and is always the one to make sure, they get what they need in a meal. She's the one who personally make the bento lunchboxes for the girls, and the one who makes dinner. Unless Hoshi Yamagawa is home a demands for her to make a certain dish, she makes whatever is requested.

**Nordic: **Mind you, she hates getting ordered around. So just like Una and Hana, she has a deep hate for Hoshi. When she cooks for Una, Hana, Marie or anyone else for that matter, they always ask nicely, never demand it. Well, onwards to the other parts of the staff.

_**Ninjin and Nasu Yamada: **_twins and the gardeners of the Yamagawa mansion. Or as they like to call the big garden: the paradise hell. Paradise, because the garden is big and beautiful. Hell, because of all the work they have to do. Ninjin is the eldest of the two, by 15 minutes. His hair is short and orange, and his eyes are light brown. He's dating Nashi.

Nasu is the younger brother, but they look nothing alike. In oppose to his brothers red hair, Nasu has long, purple hair with green highlights, leading one's thoughts exactly to the vegetable he's named after: the eggplant. He hates his parents for the name to this day. And so do Ninjin, as his name means carrot. Nasu's eyes are a dark shade of brown, and he is a little bit taller than Ninjin.

**Nordic: **Poor boys… what? What are you looking at me for? I had nothing to do with this funny, yet embarrassing aspect of the gardener's life! No, not me. I'm just an innocent writer. Ahh, screw that. Let's talk about the only maid/housekeeper they have…

_**Alice Petersen: **_Alice is a distant relative to Marie, on her biological father's side. She wanted to go travel for a bit, and got the job offered by Marie. Her hair is golden, like Una's, but is cut just as short as a boy's. Her eyes are green, and she is about as tall as Hanabi, though she is 20 years old. She hates skirts, and hasn't worn one since she was 10. She's a feminist with big F, and often comments on how much of a chauvinist Hoshi is. She's not afraid to give him a piece of her mind, and takes Una and Hana's side, whenever there's an argument between the father and daughters. She's a guide in training, but is also in the middle of studying to become a photographer, like Marie. She is also Bi, but doesn't flaunt it around.

**Nordic: **What do you think? A colorful group of people. Start shipping Nashi and Ninjin. The pear and the carrot, the fruit and the vegetable… what the heck am I writing?

**Hana: **Silly stuff for your own entertainment?

**Nordic: **Yes. Now, let's move onwards to the most important part on this tour: the Yamagawa mansion itself.

The Yamagawa mansion is not like any building you have ever seen. Why, you may ask? Simple.

It is BIGGER than Kaiba manor! And that really is something!

The Yamagawa mansion is 6 floors tall, including the ground floor. It is light grey and has a black roof, though one part of the roof has a little dome.

**Nordic: **You may have noticed that one side of the mansion is made almost entirely out of glass. This is because it is Ha…

**Una/Hana: **Okay! You stop it right here!

**Nordic: **What are you two doing here?

**Una: **It's our home! So we're taking over the tour now.

**Hana: **Yeah! I want to tell them about my wing of the mansion by myself!

**Nordic: **But I created…

**Una/Hana: **NO BUTS! OUR MANSION, OUR RULES!

**Nordic: **(Backing off.) Okay fine… have it your way! (This is Burger King.)

**Una: **Thank you. Very well, shall we begin with the shared parts of the mansion?

**Hana: **Yeah, let's do that. Okay, I begin.

Our home is in sort of four parts: There's the family area that is for Onee-chan, mama, _that_ man, the guests we might have and I. It is on most of the ground and first floor. It includes the dining room, the kitchen, a little library, a few offices, a couple of living rooms, bathrooms and the entrance to our indoor pool. Yes, indoor pool. We have two; one outside, and one inside. So all in all, a pretty normal home. Just bigger, and with more high-tech systems plugged in to everything. Oh, and the Yama-Tech. Inc. private family lab is also located on the ground floor. This lab is mostly Onee-chan's territory. It's where she store and create her own inventions, updates some of our known stuff and work on the stuff from KC.

**Una: **Then there's the second floor. It is the guest area. It has two living rooms, one with TV and one without. There are two offices with two computes in each for free disposal. Copy machines and printers are of course connected, so our guests can work if they need to. Aside from that, there's a little library with a few books on various subjects such as law, economy and different kinds of science.

**Hana/Nordic: **Booooriiiiinnnnng!

**Una: **Couldn't have said it better myself… well, onwards with the tour.

There are 6 rooms, each with two beds and a bathroom connected to each of them. But, if needed, we can provide with extra futons. I should probably add, that these family and guest parts of the mansion, is held in dark, but homey, colors. Like brown, red, orange, green and beige. The rest of the mansion is a _completely_ different case. Hana, will you do the honors?

**Hana:** With pleasure! Okay guys, now it's time to tell you about my favorite things about our home: The Color Wing, and The Performance Wing. Or as it is commonly known as: my part of the mansion, and Nee-chan's part. What does that mean, you ask? We'll tell you!

**Una:** Yes, you see, from the third floor and up, plus those two rooms, one on the ground floor and one on the first floor, is under Hanabi's and my control. Everything there belongs to us, and we can whatever we want. So Hana, will you tell them about The Color Wing?

**Hana:** YES!

**Una:** Haha, I thought so. *Smiles*.

**Hana:** Okay, The Color Wing is the right side of the mansion. It is my part, and got its nickname, because as you all know, I love art and colors. So of course I have lots of colors there.

Okay, time to go into details. The third floor is where my room is. It is connected to a big walk-in closet, and my own gigantic bathroom with shower and bathtub. The room itself has a floor made of dark wood, a big bed, a desk where my laptop is, several big, comfy armchairs and beanbags for furniture. There's also other stuff, but it would take too long if I had to talk about it all! Let's get going.

The third floor is also where I have my "calm room". It's one out of only two rooms held in dark colors here in The Color Wing. The other is my library on the fourth floor. The calm room is simply a big room with purple walls, a few wind chimes, a big window and a little table with a few mats lying around and some incense burners. Sometimes I need a bit of time to calm down, so I go there to meditate or do some yoga.

**Una:** She's a bit of a mix between a Buddhist and some kind of astronomic, spirit believing thing.

**Hana: **Hey! So what if I don't directly believe in something? It's better than anything!

*Sigh* Big sisters! Onwards with the tour.

Fourth floor is where I have my library/study. I obviously like to read here, and it is also where I prefer to do my homework. I have lots and lots of books, and a few good armchairs and some nice music playing. Doing homework is important, and I like to do my homework in pleasant surroundings.

**Una:** It's called being too used to too much comfort, kiddo. And to have too much money.

**Hana:** Hehehe…! Guilty as charged! But you're no better!

**Una:** True.

**Hana:** I really don't have much beside the library as my own on the fourth floor, given I already occupy a room on the ground and second floor. Besides, most of the rooms on this floor are for share. But we'll get into those later.

On the fifth and final floor, I have a game/play room. Up here, I have all kinds of game consoles, Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, Kaiba Corp. systems, etc. And I have hundreds of games to play them on. That's including the games for my handheld systems. I also have a few arcade games like Dance Dance Revolution and Taiko No Tatsujin*. Besides that, I have my collection of Duel Monster cards up here, some board games, a few puzzle games, both regular puzzles and those to train the brain, and my RPGs.

It's the only room I have up here, since Nee-chan uses most of the space up here, and I occupy more downstairs.

**Una:** What about your fancy glass wall?

**Hana:** Oh yeah, almost forgot. Then entire part of the house that turns towards the south is, on my parts of the manor anyways, made of glass. Reason? I just like light, and I love to wake up to morning sun and go to bed with the evening sun. This way, I also have natural light all the time, and that's nice.

I should probably also mention, that all the walls in my hallways are almost completely covered in paintings. I would have it different, if _someone_-

**Una:** Hana: no.

**Hana:** But…!

**Una:** You are not going to make any murals, Hana.

**Hana:** How about a fresco, then? Come on, think about it!

**Una:** Hmm… no. No fresco's either.

**Nordic:** As much as we all enjoy your little show, need I mention you're not alone? *Gestures towards the audience*

**Una/Hana: **Fiiiineee!

**Hana:** But this discussion is not over.

**Una:** Yes it is.

**Nordic:** Let's just continue, shall we? I believe it's your turn to tell us about the Performance Wing, Una.

**Una:** Right.

The Performance wing is my part of the manor. I like to spend most of my time up here and be me, when I have nothing else to do.

Beginning with the third floor, I have a high-tech, up-to-date music room here, with many types of instruments, though I share most with Hana. I prefer to sing, play the piano or play my electric bass. As weird as it may sound, Hana-chan is actually a bit more talented with music than I am, but don't tell it to anyone. She doesn't play much though, as she prefers her art, so I spend quite a bit of time alone in here. But we do like to make duets once in a while, so it's okay I guess. It is pretty much the only room, I have on this floor, and the rest are for share. But it's fine, because I have more rooms on the fourth and fifth floor than Hana. Speaking of those…

On the fourth floor I have a dance studio where I practice my ballet and other types of dancing. The floor is made of linoleum for obvious reasons: it's easy to clean, won't make my shoes get stuck and I can glide as quickly as I want. But it is patterned so it look like it's made of wooden boards, so it doesn't look, as my mother put it, tacky.

Another thing I have on the fourth floor is my own library. It's placed next to Hanabi's library, so if she needs to borrow a book she can just go in there. The reason why our libraries aren't connected is because we both like to have a bit of privacy when reading. Not to mention that we both like to listen to music when reading and this was we can hear different music in out speakers if we want to. My study/office is connected to my library as well, so I can study in secluded peace and not be disturbed if Hanabi needs something in my library.

**Hana:** Her study is also where she hides her secret stash of chocolate *Grins* Behind the picture of Aunt Cecilia and Uncle Pegasus!

**Una:** *Eye twitch* At least you don't know the new code… chocolate thief!

**Hana:** *Grins again* It is the square root of 31101996.

**Una:** Haaaaannnnaaaaa!

**Nordic:** *Ahem!* Please refrain from strangling the cute-element of this story, until you are alone, Una!

**Una:** Fine! But you are going to pay for that later, you little-! Would you stop grinning?!

**Hana:** *Still grinning* Nope!

**Una:** *Sighs* Moving on… but I'll seriously need to get her out of my chocolate stash.

Last, but not least, fifth floor. This is where my bedroom is. Like Hana's room, it has a connected bathroom and walk-in closet… but to clarify, my closet is much smaller than her's. I have the usual stuff in there - bed, desk, computer, chairs, shelves with stuff and many other things. The floor is also made of dark wood, but I have placed rugs in strategic places, for example around my bed, under my desk, chairs, sofa and in front of my bathroom door. As for my bathroom, it is kept in white and purple colours. I have a shower and bathtub like Hana… but I have added several more gadgets to it. I do allow myself a bit of luxury after all.

The final thing I have up there is actually just a big waste of money, but… I have my own astronomy. Complete with high-tech telescopes and equipment. A dome that opens, computers tuned in on the newest in astronomy and lots of other stuff. Why I have it? I don't really know, I just really like searching the night sky and see what's out there. But that's about it for my personal rooms.

**Hana:** Mind you, we also have many rooms we share. We have a training room with climbing wall, treadmills, stationary bikes, a few dumbbells we can both easily lift, equipment for training arms, legs, stomach, back etc. and many other things.

**Una:** We also have a private kitchen/dining area and a living room. The kitchen and training room are both on third floor, while the living room is on fourth.

**Nordic:** Do you have any other rooms?

**Una:** Not that I know of… except for Hana's art studio and her supply room, but I am sure you will all hear about them in details later.

**Nordic:** Right. I guess that's it, then. Thank you so much for this tour, and thank you to all of the readers for being patient with me. I hope this will be sufficient as an update for now, until I get to work on the next real chapter.

**Una/Hana/Nordic:** Bye!

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><p><strong>*Taiko: Drum Master. Only one game of it has been released in North America, so it is a Japan exclusive. Go look it up on Wikipedia, it's actually pretty cool.<strong>

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><p><strong>AN:** That's it for this extremely random and strange update. I hope you all enjoyed it! ^^

You know this already, but a huge thank you and "I love you" to all of my readers, reviewers and followers for sticking with me. Also a very belated thank you to the erson who added me to a community. I am very grateful for that, so thanks a lot :D Proper thanks will be given, once I have a real chapter ready for upload. One that's not just me or my characters speaking, and that has actually been beta'd.

For future reference, I am going to remove this from TCI:P when it's finished, and then add it to the one-shot collection I will make in the future.

**Shameless advertising!: **Now for a small announcement/order/advertisement :D I want all of you to search for "NordicTwin Reads" on google. First link that pops out, is a video of yours truly reading "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe! Yes, I have gone out there and put my voice on YouTube. So now you can see my face, my works and hear my freaking _voice_ online. Go and check it out, it would make me extremely happy! X3

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><p>See ya' all next time, for a real chapter!<p>

-Nordic Twin


	46. In which NordicTwin begs for forgiveness

Uhm... hi- wah! *Dodges bullets, missiles cannonballs, grenades, a few laser-beams and other very dangerous things to get hit by*

Oh... right... you guys are probably pissed at me... for not uploading in forever... since last year... *winces*. Yeah, about that...

I am so sorry you guys! Really, I am! *Dodges more things thrown at her* No, hear me out! I know a lot of you have probably left, but... for those few who are still there and want to listen to me, please do!

I honestly don't know what happened to me... I want to blame it on school, other projects, writer's block etc., but... the thing is, I don't think, I have anything to blame but myself and a very sudden, very strange lack of motivation on this site. All of those who haven't received an answer from me on here since that time can confirm that. The same goes for a lot of people on dA.

And it sucks, because it is eating me up from the inside and I hate myself for it! I want to write... but there are other projects... and I finish high school next year... future plans, my 3DS XL and the small collection of addicting games I have... just so many reasons not to write... and in the end the blame is on me. And only me.

**All OCs I have neglected lately:** Ya' think?!

**Aracne:** Honestly, the Circus of the Lee can't keep waiting for my performances forever!

**Shade and Boo:** Yeah, well the group you made us for closed because of lack of activity!

**Claire de Luna:** What about all the stories of me you start, but haven't finished yet?!

**Una, Hanabi and Fortuna:** What about us?! Your prized characters and longest project ever?!

Okay, okay I get it! No need to yell.

**All OCs:** Well, how are you going to listen to us if we don't?!

Heheh... calm down now... ^^;

**All OCs:** *Glaring and sneering*

Yeah... okay. So I might have too many projects on my hands... to my (hopefully still active) readers, Claire, Aracne, Shade and Boo are charcters I made ofr several groups on DeviantArt. Claire de Luna is my prime-OC there and by far the one I am the most active with 20 stories currently posted. I won't talk about her more here, but... if you want to know, what exactly has been keeping me from you should probably search in my gallery for her, because she is one of my main reasons.

I have a bunch of other lame excuses you probably won't care about, including... a little-big crush on someone.

What I assume you actually care about at the moment is: why is Nordic Twin only now appearing again with all of these excuses? Where is the next chapter of The Crystal Items: Pendulum?!

The answer: hopefully in the re-works tomorrow. See, I have been working on the next chapter for ages... but it is stuck. Completely. And it cannot be saved. So after a lot of thinking... I have decided to scrap it and start over from scratch. Title, flow etc. everything is going to be deleted and re-written. It might take some time, but... I have all the time in the world now summer is here... until the 5th of July, that is... vacation time you see ^^; (Bad timing to do this, I know, but you guys deserve a long over-due explanation.)

To make up for all of this, however, I do want to add a little something with it. See, while I was gone... I sort of... kind of... started writing a HP/YGO-crossover. *Ducks spells being sent at her* Yes, I know everybody and their great-grandmother has written a HP/YGO-crossover, so what makes mine any different?! Well, for starters my Hogwarts!AU is going to be set AFTER the books - that's right, there will be NO interaction between Yugi and Harry, because Harry has already beaten Voldemort! *Ducks more spells and tomatoes* No, hear me out! Really - it's going to be good. Think about it - an AU with no Harry actually allows for the students to have a normal life at Hogwarts... well, as normal as it can get in a school for wizards. The quiet study-evenings in Ravenclaw Tower where you pretty much only hear the sound of quill on paper and pages being turned... craft-nights in Hufflepuff Basement with cookies and hot tea, where both boys and girls do various handicrafts... Slytherins teaching the first years about the best routes from Slytherin Dungeon to take to get to class on time on specific days or helping them homework... and game-nights in Gryffindor Tower where there are tournaments in Wizard Chess, (Duel Monsters), Wizard Poker etc. or discussions about who will win the Quidditch World Cup... just, imagine the possibilities! Not to mention: my story is even going to feature human Atem/Yami, Malik and Bakura! Yes, they will have their own bodies. Because in this AU there is no evil curse, no Millenium Items - just a bunch of young wizard and witches going to school and experiencing strange things.

For funsies, here is a little bit of what is to come, if I actually manage to finish the beginning of this Hogwarts!AU:

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><p><strong>Quiet nights in Hufflepuff Basement:<strong>

Hufflepuff Basement was rarely a quiet place. Most of the time the students would sit in the common room at nearly all times when not in class. In fact, the only quiet places were the study-area and the dormitories... but even they weren't all that quiet. Always there seemed to be some kind of noise... and the students were actually pretty happy about that.

But every now and then something seemed to fall over the Basement. The noise would just stop on its own, like some kind of silent agreement had passed between the students, making them all quiet down slowly, until the only noise was that of the fire crackling in the fireplace, only broken by the sound of someone taking a sip of something, pages being turned and knitting needles clicking together. These moments often appeared around 9PM, when many of the first years had been ushered to bed and tucked in, and just a handful of the elder students sat around to do a final bit of homework, finish some project or just enjoying a good book.

As much as he loved the homey hum of noise... Ryou cherished these moments of silence.

Coming from a home where his brother, Akefia, filled the air with his loud voice, strange plans and arguments with their parents, Ryou had come to love silence and saw it as a gift, whereas many Hufflepuffs didn't like it and would rather be surrounded by some kind of noise at all times. Thus it often happened that Ryou found himself sitting in the common room alone at night, when it seemed that even Peeves had turned in for the night, when he couldn't sleep. He just sat there, staring into the fire and breathing in the quietness of the night.

It was heaven.

That's why it was a bit of a surprise to him, when Hanabi joined him on one of her first nights at Hogwarts. She hadn't said anything - she had just sat next to him on the couch with her patchwork quilt tucked around her shoulders and a plump, stuffed owl held safely in her grip. Her cat, Cupcake, had also joined them and lied in-between the two. She sat like that with him for about half an hour, then she had gotten up from her seat, smiled at him and gone back to the dormitories. This repeated a few times in a row, until Ryou discovered the young Yamagawa looked more and more tired. Slowly she got darker marks under her eyes and she paled a bit. It was then that Ryou realized something... and decided to solve it.

So that same night he rose from his bed and went to sit in front of the fire, and as usual Hanabi joined him around midnight. They sat in silence like before, but it wasn't long before Ryou gently said: "It's okay to be scared, Hana".

Hanabi had immediately looked down and clutched her owl closer to her body. "I... I..." she mumbled. Then she closed her eyes and whispered: "I am 11 years old. I am too old to be scared!"

"You are not," Ryou said back in the same low voice. "Everybody gets scared now and then. You are in a new place, far away from home... and, if my assumptions are correct, what feels like miles away from the safest people you know".

She clutched the owl even tighter and tears welled in her eyes. "It's silly," she whispered, her voice breaking a bit. "But... uncle Pegasus is in America, and Onee-chan is all the way over in Ravenclaw Tower and, and...!"

Ryou embraced Hanabi gently, as the tears started flowing from her eyes and sobs shaked her small body. Carefully he whispered words of comfort and rocked her back and forth like he did with Amane, when she had been fussing. "Shhh... it's fine, you are okay. Everything is going to be fine".

It took a few minutes, but eventually Hanabi calmed down and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed to have been crying.

Ryou just patted her head and whispered: "It is okay, Hana-chan, everything is fine".

A little time passed where the two just stared into the flames. Then, finally, Hanabi whispered: "I have had trouble sleeping since getting here. Usually I just go to Onee-chan, but... since we are not allowed to be in the halls at night, and I don't know the way around, I just... thought maybe sitting here helped. And it did... when you sat here too, Ryou-sama. But... I don't know, it just doesn't seem to help anymore, and I don't know what to do".

Ryou looked into the flames, thinking, until he got an idea. "I suggest you talk to our Head-girl or Professor Sprout about this, so they can help you. I can see, you are getting tired, Hana, and I know several of the older girls here would love to act as an extra Nee-chan for you. And Professor Sprout probably knows a thing or two about young students missing home, too". He smiled at the little girl. "You should probably also talk to your Onee-chan and Anego about this".

"And if that doesn't work?" Hana asked timidly, looking sad.

"Then..." Ryou smiled again and patted her head. "I shall gladly keep you company in this wonderful stillness until you fall asleep again".

Hana finally smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Ryou-sama!" She whispered, hugging him.

Ryou returned the hug briefly, before he gently pushed her off the couch and said: "Now, go to bed and sleep. The quiet night and I will be here again tomorrow".

Hana smiled again, bowed and bid him goodnight. Ryou chuckled lightly at her antics, before he turned his gaze to the fire once more.

Yes, the quiet nights in Hufflepuff Basement really was a gift.

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><p>That makes it for that snippet of my Hogwarts!AU. Yes, Hanabi and Una will be in it, too. Because why not?<p>

So... yeah, this is kind of it from me for now. The next chapter will see its reform tomorrow. Feel free to bombard me with demands to get it done as quickly as possible - it makes me lift my ass and start writing faster.

So without further ado - see you all, hopefully, next time!

**-Nordic Twin.**


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